FWD Column: Representing you has been a privilege

In his last column as Chair, Dawood Pervez reflects on the past three years and pays tribute to the sector’s resilience, ingenuity and determination to keep delivering

As this year draws to a close, it also marks the end of my term as Chair of Food and Drink Wholesale UK (FWD), a role that has been a privilege and a responsibility during a challenging period for our sector. At the Gold Medal Awards in November, I had the honour of formally handing the baton to Tom Gittins who will lead FWD into 2026 with renewed energy to champion the interests of wholesalers across the UK.

As we reach the end of 2025 it’s fair to say this has been another demanding year for food and drink wholesalers and the customers we serve. Cost pressures have continued to build, regulation has become more complex, and consumer confidence has remained fragile. Yet, as ever, our sector has responded with resilience, ingenuity, and a determination to keep delivering for customers and communities.

The Budget underlined just how critical it is that the government understands the wholesale channel. We saw confirmation of a new, permanently lower business rates multiplier for retail, hospitality and leisure from April 2026 – funded in part by higher charges on distribution warehouses. In principle, rebalancing the burden between the high street and ‘online giants’ feels like a step in the right direction. In practice, the reality is more nuanced.

Campaigning

On the positive side, FWD’s campaigning helped prevent a deeply anti-competitive proposal which would have seen supermarkets exempted from the higher multiplier entirely. That reversal matters, and we should recognise it as a win for the sector. Transitional relief will also soften some of the sharpest increases in rates bills.

However, the detail of the new framework still raises concerns. The discount for retail, hospitality and leisure premises is modest, and the surcharge on warehouses arrives on top of business rates that have already risen significantly in recent years. For wholesalers – who sit in the middle of the supply chain, with large sites, energy-intensive operations and tight margins – this is not a marginal change. It directly affects the cost of getting food and drink onto Britain’s shelves and into its kitchens.

Alongside this, the latest increases to the National Living Wage from April 2026 will once again push up labour costs in what is, fundamentally, a people-intensive industry.

As wholesalers, we support fair pay and want to attract and retain great colleagues, but the cumulative impact of wage, tax and regulatory changes inevitably feeds through to pricing, investment decisions and the support we can offer our retail and foodservice customers.

Looking beyond the Budget, there is a full in-tray of policy issues which will shape the next few years: the design and timing of Deposit Return Schemes across the nations, the proposed energy drinks restrictions, evolving employment rights and reporting requirements around fuel and logistics, to name just a few. The common thread is simple: we need consistency, clarity and practical implementation that reflects how wholesale actually operates.

Progress

Alongside navigating this policy landscape, 2025 has also been a year of real progress within FWD itself. We strengthened our effectiveness and governance by transitioning to a company limited by guarantee and adopting a clearer name – Food & Drink Wholesale UK – to fully reflect who we are and what we represent.

We successfully integrated Women in Wholesale into our wider diversity and inclusion agenda, creating a unified approach that has been warmly embraced across the industry.

We reshaped and refreshed the FWD team to better support members following Martin Williams’ retirement after many years of exceptional service. And, working with 3Keel, we undertook the first comprehensive measurement of the sector’s carbon footprint and produced practical roadmaps to help members reduce emissions. These milestones matter, and they put us in a stronger position for the years ahead.

Despite the headwinds, there is much to be positive about. Our sector continues to invest in digital platforms, in data and insight, in more efficient vehicles and depots, and in value-driven own-label ranges that help our customers stay competitive.

Wholesalers are working ever more closely with suppliers and customers to reduce waste, improve sustainability and respond to changing consumer needs.

As FWD Chair, what has struck me most this year is the strength of our collective voice when we act together. We have seen that constructive, evidence-based engagement can influence policy and stop genuinely damaging measures from proceeding. We must keep building on that.

Champion

Above all, we will continue to champion the essential role that wholesalers play in the food and drink system. Whatever the economic climate, our members will still be there – backing independent retailers, serving foodservice operators, and keeping communities supplied.

Before closing, I want to offer my sincere thanks to the entire Food & Drink Wholesale UK team. Their professionalism, insight and tireless work behind the scenes have been invaluable throughout my chairmanship. They are a small team delivering a very large impact, and our sector is stronger for everything they do.

And finally, my heartfelt thanks to our members for their support, engagement and candour over the past year. It has been a privilege to represent you.

Dawood Pervez