© Provided by The iThere could be consequences for firms selling garden plants (Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)
British firms are still awaiting key details of how they will be affected by Brexit and are worried about what the end of the transition period will mean for them.
A poll of 170 members of the Scotland Food and Drink association has found that 72 per cent felt unprepared for Brexit and any resulting disruption, amid warnings that companies could find themselves in a "perilous position".
Firms such as Prima Cheese in Co Durham, which buys the majority of its ingredients from the EU, have warned that a no-deal Brexit could leave them having to make redundancies, with its director Nima Beni saying: "More time is needed to get things in place."
Bethan Thomas, from Oxfordshire-based firm HotTea Mama, told the Oxford Mail she is trying to prepare customers in the EU for longer waits and higher prices for the herbal teas she sells.
Lack of communication
© Provided by The iA no-deal Brexit could lead to delays at ports like Dover (Photo: Getty)
The UK Warehousing Association also warned recently that traders have yet to receive "clear or detailed communication from the Government on what to prepare for or how to prepare for it".
Others who have raised concerns range from road hauliers to whisky manufacturers, while builders are already reportedly running short of supplies as ports deal with a surge in freight as firms replenish stock at the end of lockdowns and build Brexit stockpiles.
With Northern Ireland due to stay in the EU single market for goods, while the rest of the UK leaves, there could also be consequences even for firms selling garden plants.
John Shannon, who runs a garden centre near Larne, County Antrim, told the BBC that plants crossing the Irish Sea will be subject to new inspections, more paperwork and extra costs.
Halls of Heddon, a plant nursery in Newcastle established in 1921, has already posted a message on its website saying it is "no longer able" to accept orders for the EU, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland due to new rules that will come into effect on 1 January.