The British Takeaway Campaign, an umbrella group representing those involved in the supply and preparation of the nation’s favourite foods, today (Wednesday) commented on the Budget.

Ibrahim Dogus, Chair of the British Takeaway Campaign, said: "It is good to see the Chancellor has heeded the BTC’s calls to reduce the burden of business rates on the mainly small firms that make up the UK’s diverse takeaway sector. We welcome the decision to peg future rises to CPI rather than RPI and to introduce more frequent revaluations, but what is really needed is a fundamental overhaul of the system.

"Most takeaways are responsible when it comes to dealing with litter and the sector is already taking steps to encourage consumers to reduce, reuse and recycle.With takeaways reliant on having a cost effective solution to keeping customers’ food hot, takeaway owners will be relieved that the Chancellor stopped short of introducing a new packaging tax on single use plastic. We look forward to working with the Government to explore workable alternative solutions which do not increase costs for small businesses or lead to higher prices for customers.

"With over a third of takeaways (37%) experiencing skills shortages, particularly for chefs and front of house staff, the new technical education qualifications will play a vital role in plugging gaps after Brexit. While we welcome the additional investment for Further Education colleges, we’d urge the Government to bring forward the date of the Catering and Hospitality T-Level and to ensure the takeaway sector can access the skills it needs from abroad – both from within the European Union and beyond.”