New tier system makes hospitality unworkable and unsustainable.

BEIS confirms grant aid for foodservice equipment supply companies

BEIS (the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) has confirmed that the foodservice equipment supply chain will be able to claim additional support if they have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic (the support is in the form of grants from local councils). The decision follows intensive lobbying from FEA, supported by other trade associations such as UK Hospitality, which successfully argued that businesses that were heavily linked to the hospitality industry should be given special treatment.

As a result, BEIS has said that businesses that supply the hospitality sector can apply for the grants. The Department has said local councils have the freedom to determine the eligibility criteria for the grants, but it expects the funding to help those businesses which – while not legally forced to close – are nonetheless severely impacted by the restrictions. “We are delighted that the government has finally agreed that the foodservice equipment supply chain needs extra support,” says Steve Hobbs, chair of FEA. “I’d like to congratulate the FEA team who, despite repeated frustrations, have never let up in their pressure and efforts.”

To find out more, visit the ‘coronavirus additional restrictions grant’ pages at the www.gov.uk website.

New tier system makes hospitality unworkable and unsustainable

At the time of going to press, a second HospoDemo (www.hospodemo.org) was due to take place in Parliament Square, London on 7 December, with the latest evidence showing that just 2% of Covid transmissions can be traced back to hospitality settings (Public Health England Weekly Covid-19 surveillance report, week 44), claim the event’s organisers, who add that the UK government appear to think that it’s safer to go to a gym, stand in a busy supermarket queue, go Christmas shopping or watch a game of football with 4,000 fans.

“Just as we were gearing up to re-open our businesses, the new tier restrictions from 2 December make hospitality the scapegoat once again,” states their web site. “The loss of vital Christmas trade will be the final straw for many restaurants, bars, pubs and hotels hoping to survive into 2021. Add on ever-increasing rent debt, amongst other costs, and the future is frightening for tens of thousands of businesses and their employees. While the furlough scheme is enabling hospitality workers to make ends meet, their jobs simply won’t exist once their employers’ businesses fold in the coming months.”

“Operators feel that they’ve done everything that was asked of them to be Covid compliant; spending millions of pounds putting in safety measure to make their premises highly-controlled environments. But despite all that they’re either unable to open at all, or only able to open with so many restrictions in place that turning a profit is an incredibly difficult thing to do,” HospoDemo’s Rachel Harty told Big Hospitality.

In England, in tier one – ‘medium’ – pubs and restaurants must shut at 11pm. In tier two – ‘high’ – pubs and restaurants must also shut at 11pm, and alcohol can only be served as part of a substantial meal, and in tier three – ‘very high’ – pubs/restaurants are closed except for delivery and takeaway.

Northen Ireland entered a two-week, ‘circuit-breaker’ as of 27 November. Hospitality venues such as cafés, restaurants, pubs, bars and social clubs must remain closed, states indirect.gov.uk; with the exception of providing food and drink for takeaway, drive-through or delivery (businesses there providing takeaway services must close at 11.00 pm and offsales must stop at 8.00 pm). The provision of food and drink in motorway services, airports and harbour terminals is allowed.

Scotland is operating what is said by many to be tougher, five tier system and hospitality venues there such as cafés, restaurants, pubs, bars and social clubs are closed (with the exception of providing food and drink for takeaway, drive-through or delivery). Businesses providing takeaway services must close at 11.00 pm and off-sales must stop at 8.00 pm, and the provision of food and drink in motorway services, airports and harbour terminals is allowed.

In Wales, restaurants and cafés are now banned from serving alcohol and will be unable to open to customers beyond 18:00 GMT. Indoor entertainment and visitor attractions, including cinemas, have also had to close after the country’s First Minister, Mark Drakeford, announced the new rules to tackle an alleged rise in coronavirus cases there.