‘Food glorious food, eat right through the menu’ so goes the famous song and it couldn’t be more relevant. That ‘menu’ in the 21st century is extensive. The opportunities to experience international cuisines, niche products or to indulge ourselves in unique eating environments has exploded like Mr Creosote after a ‘waffer thin mint’.
There’s now a vast buffet of fast food, street food, healthy food, high-end food, food to go and food deliveries. Not to mention the wide variety of food and drink products we can buy in shops or online.
Food is no longer just fuel. It now denotes a lifestyle, a personal philosophy or a political viewpoint. And allied to all these ideas is a food industry developing food and drink products and services that meet the needs of these distinct foodie tribes.
As you’d expect there is a vast industry that’s coalesced around our insatiable appetite for new food and drink experiences and considerable research and development efforts are underway to find the next ‘new flavours’. And where there’s innovation there’s the opportunity to savour the R&D tax credits that have been cooked up along the way.
Selling Food Online
In my recent blog, I discussed the explosion of eCommerce and the R&D tax credits that exist in work done to develop ever-more sophisticated online sales technologies.
It goes without saying if you’re a food producer selling your products online, the same opportunities exist for you. Not only in the systems and processes you use to take orders but perhaps also in how you formulate and pack your food products to be delivered to your clients.
If you’ve wrestled with how to get your delicious treats to your customers in good condition, chances are you’ve also been innovating. If so, it’s time to check whether there are some R&D tax credits that you’re due.
Over The Counter
Barely a week goes by here in Manchester without a new restaurant or bar opening. It’s the same in cities and towns throughout the UK. New premises, new menus, new ways to prepare the food and all delivered in exciting new formats. Many of these new eateries are based on original thinking and thorough research.
The work that goes into developing a new food outlet can be complex. It’s not just the food. Think about the branding, the promotional activity, the creation of new recipes or the styling of the restaurant itself. In here could be a tempting chunk of R&D Tax Credit-worthy work that if claimed could help to minimise the risks that can come from entering the food and drink sector.
Picky Eaters
The food and drink business in recent years has become increasingly complex. Not just the demand for the ‘new’ but also in how it’s preparation and the quality of the ingredients. Issues such as allergens, dairy and wheat-free, veganism, freshness and shelf life are all becoming essential to the modern food consumer.
Creating products to serve these needs is not easy. It takes many hours of careful work in test kitchens, extensive consumer trials, development of specialist supply chains and scrupulous scientific testing to ensure they deliver their declared benefits.
And in doing this activity you can be sure potential R&D tax credits are also accumulating.
Check Your Eligibility
You may have thought the work you have done to bring your culinary creations to the fore was just a labour of love. Maybe, but with the right guidance and our expertise in R&D tax credits, you can at least get some much-needed tax reliefs that can help with your ongoing journey to take your food ideas to the next level.
All you need do is call my team, and we’ll help you find those R&D tax credits quickly and easily, and perhaps you’ll let us have a taste of your fabulous new food and drink as well!
Get In Touch
If you want to find out the potential for an R&D Tax Credit claim for your food and drink business call my team today on 07792 686479 or email me at adam@meetenso.co.uk and let’s talk about how you can get the delicious R&D tax credits your hard work deserves.