Time to again?
Delaying Freedom Day was a big blow for businesses – now we’re being urged to show support for our favourite pubs and restaurants, as Kerry Ashdown reports
IT’S time to eat out to help out once more to help our favourite venues on the road to recovery from coronavirus.
That’s the message from a county councillor who says we should be helping pubs and restaurants unable to welcome customers to dine in for several months during the past year.
Ian Parry wants us to reembrace the spirit of last summer’s Eat Out To Help Out campaign, which offered customers a 50 per cent discount on their food bill.
The move, introduced after the first lockdown was relaxed, sparked a surge in bookings – as well as concerns it may have led to a rise in Covid-19 infections.
Hospitality venues started 2021 in lockdown, with only takeaway, delivery and drive through services allowed. From April they welcomed back customers outdoors, before indoor drinking and dining was permitted once more from May 17.
Last Thursday Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet was given an update on the economic recovery programme.
Councillor Parry raised concerns that the Government’s delaying of full freedom could affect businesses ‘that require physical volume to sustain them.’
He added: “Let’s go back to eat out to help out. I’ve been out a couple of times and quite easily get reservations and it’s quite easy to get into restaurants, diners and pubs. Even with social distancing they seem a little empty.
“We need to help these hospitality venues as much as possible. At least we can perhaps put down the encouragement to Staffordshire folk to come out and help our small businesses to sustain them. “Otherwise they will disappear and your favourite pubs, cafes and restaurants may not be there in six months’ time. We need to eat out to help out once again.”
Councillor Johnny Mcmahon agreed, adding: “We’re not just helping small businesses, we’re helping ourselves because we are social animals.
“We’ve got to get back to doing what is natural to us, which is getting out there and living our life.”
And fellow cabinet member Mark Deaville, who runs a pub in the Staffordshire Moorlands, said: “We do need to get out. Not only to regenerate the local economy – it’s great for our mental health to get out and mix.
“We need to get back to our previous way of life – of course always making the consideration that I don’t think everything will be quite the same again. There is no room for complacency, carry on doing the right things but get out and support and enjoy the fantastic small businesses that we have in Staffordshire.”
The council has been running support schemes to help businesses through the pandemic, including grants, loans and incentives to boost training and apprenticeship opportunities.