‘People are ripping up contracts’: price of rice boils over into new territory in UK

The pressures faced by one Yorkshire rice importer illustrate how costs feed through to consumers

The 20kg bags of rice stacked on ceiling-high shelving units look like any other but are the first to arrive in the West Yorkshire depot from Vietnam as the food price shocks fuelling inflation force companies to find cheaper ingredients.

Jason Bull, one of the directors of Eurostar Commodities, which imports rice and flour destined for restaurant chains, supermarket suppliers and caterers, says the Brighouse-based company is facing its biggest challenge in nearly 30 years.