Butchers Plead With Government To Let Them Serve Their Communities

Butchers across the country are urging the government to allow them to reopen under strict Covid protocol and serve their communities. Currently, under Alert Level 4, independent butchers are only allowed to operate contactless deliveries – a position unviable for many operators.

Compounding the issue is that supermarkets are under increasing pressure, not just from record concentration of customers needing to source their essential supplies but for many supermarkets, they are a location of interest forcing many of their staff into isolation and some stores even shutting.

Reuben Sharples, from the Aussie Butcher New Lynn, is one such butcher who is seeing his community under siege from multiple locations of interest, but is virtually powerless to help them.

“New Lynn and Green Bay are doing it tough right now, with Delta rife in our community, many are feeling vulnerable and exposed. Coupled with that is our only local amenities are under immense pressure to keep their head above water – you know I really feel for them. I have reached out to our local supermarket to offer assistance in any way I can, but the best thing I could be doing right now is to get my shop operational.

“Where my store is based, we have a really great produce shop, fishmonger, and bakery next door, all of whom could be servicing the community from their front door; outdoors, safely and socially distanced. It seems madness that the government is going to continue to force Kiwis back into supermarkets when we know Delta is so deadly indoors.”

Antoinette Bisset, from Retail Meat New Zealand – the membership body for Kiwi butchers – is imploring the government to change their stance as soon as possible to give retailers a chance of survival.

“The reality for many of our members is an extended lockdown could sign the death sentence for their businesses. The losses many of them suffered during last years’ lockdown and a wage subsidy that – although greatly appreciated – is only a sticking plaster, we could see an eventuality where many of them don’t open up again. The government has to consider the long-term impacts this will have on food security, particularly for rural and regional communities that rely on their local butcher to keep them fed.

“Our members acknowledge that the whole country is feeling the impacts of this latest lockdown, but know they can do their part to keep Kiwis fed at a time of national crisis.”