Raglan butcher left with $40k of stock because of essential business confusion

Thursday, 26 March 2020

A Raglan butchery that was forced to close after the Government clarified its list of essential businesses has been left with more than $40,000 worth of meat it cannot sell. 

On Monday, Top Cut Butchery Raglan owner Ricky Barham loaded up his butchery with stock in preparation for the lockdown, expecting that it would count as a food supplier and be allowed to trade.

But Barham, like many other small butchers and grocers around the country, was caught out when the Government updated its essential service list and removed butchers.

'I'm the only butcher in Raglan and I think local butchers should 100 per cent considered an essential service,' he said.

**READ MORE:

* Coronavirus: Mad Butcher shops open despite rules excluding butchers

* Coronavirus: Milk deliveries shut down as other businesses remain open

* Coronavirus lockdown: Here's where you can buy food, and where you can't**

Barham said he was in talks with Supervalue and Four Square, which were allowed to trade during the lockdown, to buy his stock. 

However, because Top Cut Butchery was the locals' go-to, the two superettes had a small display space for meat. 

'I can't go to Countdown because they have their own contractual obligations with their suppliers.'

Before the lockdown kicked in on Wednesday, Barham and his three staff sold $12,000 worth of stock in 14 hours. 

'That's more than double the stock superettes would keep,' he said.

On Friday, Ardern said while it was a difficult time for bakers and small grocers, they still needed to remain closed. 

'If every single one of them opens up around the country, this defeats the point. I'm asking them to do right by their community and to close.'

On Thursday, the Prime Minister said there would be some exceptions for small towns without supermarkets, superettes and dairies to have small grocers and butchers open and that there was no need for food to be wasted.

'Yes you might be closing your doors, but there is plenty of need out there where I'm sure we can appropriately use food that someone no longer is able to sell across the counter as we all work to break the chain of Covid-19,' Ardern said.

'For small towns, we've got to make sure those areas have access to the same essential services and foods that other parts of the country do. In those areas where there is no supermarket, superettes, dairies and so on, special consideration is given.'

Barham said the Ministry of Primary Industries advised him to continue trading til Friday, while it confirmed whether Top Cut Butchery could get dispensation.

But on Thursday morning the police told him and his staff to shut the shop.

An MPI spokeswoman said if the butchery thought it was an essential business, it need clearance from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) first to operate.

'MPI is not the agency responsible for providing essential services status for retail businesses. Our agency is responsible for food production and the related services in the primary sector such as horticulture, dairy production.'

MBIE has been approached for comment.

 Barham's daughter Jaimee Knight insisted it was someone at MPI that told Barham to continue trading as they had not heard back from MBIE.

Knight feared the business would be forced to close if it was not able to sell the stock.

She said while she was looking to apply for wage subsidies from the Government, she was worried they wouldn't cover the loss of perishable stock. 

'Lots of businesses are suffering but fortunately for them, their stock will be there when they open.'

Barham said he was hoping to be given an exemption to operate through a online delivery service. 

'We're wearing gloves and masks and keeping a safe distance. We're just looking for the light at the end of the tunnel.'