British supermarkets are pushing back against increasing stockpiling demands ahead of Brexit . A senior executive of one of the UK 's big four supermarkets claimed the government continues to treat the industry as an extended arm of state , by putting the burden of feeding the nation on private companies . “There is no good time of year to leave the European Union without a deal,” he said. The food industry has already been hit twice by delays to exiting the EU , having spent millions on preparations . While the Department of Environment , Food and Rural Affairs has stated that robust supply chains will improve food availability after 1 October , supermarkets expect to see some shortages in a no - deal scenario .
British supermarkets are pushing back against increasing stockpiling demands ahead of Brexit . A senior executive of one of the UK 's big four supermarkets claimed the government continues to treat the industry as an extended arm of state , by putting the burden of feeding the nation on private companies . The food industry has already been hit twice by delays to exiting the EU , having spent millions on preparations . While the Department of Environment , Food and Rural Affairs has stated that robust supply chains will improve food availability after 1 October , supermarkets expect to see some shortages in a no - deal scenario .