Priding itself on quality, he said Leathams has ‘strong’ buying and technical expertise, supply chain management and close relationships with its core EU suppliers that it will ‘strive to continue’ regardless of the Brexit outcome.

Its aim - to “delight customers with authentic products” - and focus on origin will also remain, by ensuring continued supply with no compromise on the quality and provenance of its ingredients.

To achieve this, Leathams is preparing for a situation where the free circulation of goods between the EU and UK would cease, and has consequently taken the below action:

• Employing a dedicated Brexit strategy team to attend regular industry forums and events
• Reviewed its product and supplier range to ensure a robust plan is in place for continued supply post “no deal” outcome
• Reviewed all products and categories that may be volatile in a “no deal” outcome and increased stockholding where applicable

To mitigate any impact of a ‘no deal’ outcome, it has also:

• Registered under the Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI) scheme since its introduction in 2009, which will be required for any EU imports under a no deal scenario
• A well-established and experienced team with the necessary skills and understanding of all aspects of processing and managing non-EU imports. This includes product classification, which has already been carried out for all EU lines

That said, where relevant, Leathams is working on strengthening and developing its UK supply-base and partnering with key suppliers, to continue to introduce market innovative products in this time of uncertainty (including its range of British sourced lines).

Recognising that “availability and quality are major concerns for its customers,” Moxham assures that the company has “never operated on a ‘just in time’ basis” and instead holds varying amounts of stock at all times to ensure 100% availability.

While recognising that ‘the picture ahead is unclear’, Moxham promises customers that Leathams is “well placed with a focused team and established business model to transition through the Brexit uncertainty,” and believes that the company will “thrive through the challenge” ahead.