Food producers taking record warehouse space

Food producers are taking up record volumes of warehouse space in the UK, as the industry looks to prevent further shortages. Demand from food manufacturers for shed space increased by 58% to a record 4.3m sq ft last year, according to Savills. The property group said it was the biggest take-up since it first started collecting data in 2007. Food businesses have been acquiring warehouses to use as slaughterhouses and indoor farms as well as for storage as worries rise over food supplies. In March, many supermarkets were forced to ration vegetables, with the shortages caused in large part by cold weather in continental Europe and Africa. Kevin Mofid, logistics property researcher at Savills, said he suspected efforts to use suppliers closer to home had been “much more pronounced” in the UK, where trade with Europe had been complicated by Brexit. About 70% of the UK’s food is delivered from the EU. The FT (£)