Issued December 2001.....Metrication

Since 1947 we have been selling apples, plums and pears in Imperial units of measurement. A few years ago we changed to sell our apple juice in litres rather than pints, but we maintained Imperial units for all other uses.

As of midnight 31st December 2001 it was no longer be legal to sell or weigh fruit in Imperial quantities. This had been the case for pre-packed foods since the mid-1990s, but now it is applied to include loose packed. As a result of this our units of sale were changed from Imperial to Metric.

We believe that these regulations are unnecessary, petty, anti-competitive and all too illustrative of a general tendency towards greater rather than lesser regulation. Surely it should be a matter for us to decide whether we wish to sell in pounds or kilogrammes? Furthermore the draconian powers of punishment given to the authorities to enforce these regulations show a lamentable disregard for the practicalities of changeover and of running a small business. The local Trading Standards department are reasonable and have done all they can, it is the politicians who set the framework within which they work.

We will be displaying conversion charts in our shop from 31st December for customer's convenience. We will also be displaying information leaflets from the Department of Trade and Industry. If you require information about metrication please visit the dti website on www.dti.gov.uk.

We regret that these and other regulations are making it increasingly difficult for small food producers to survive. In the name of health and safety or European uniformity such producers are being put out of business.

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