Hospitality missing out on Mother’s Day millions

SCOTTISH pubs are set to miss out on £8million over just one weekend as hospitality venues are forced to stay closed for Mother’s Day.

Experts have estimated venues across the country would have served 1.2million pints tomorrow, along with 350,000 meals.

This will be the second Mothers’ Day with hospitality venues shut – last year it fell only days after the order to close.

Industry bosses said that traditional Mother’s Day celebrations such as having lunch out with families will be replaced by people spending the day in their own homes or outdoors.

The Scottish Beer and Pub Association (SBPA) yesterday claimed this will see pubs losing out on £8million which would be ‘crucial’ to their recovery.

In an attempt to work around the restrictions, many businesses have tried to adapt by offering ‘takeaway roast dinners’ and ‘cook-at-home’ kits.

Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the SBPA, said: ‘A pub Sunday roast on Mother’s Day is one of life’s simple pleasures, yet for the second year in a row, families will not be able to celebrate the occasion at their local. The pub is the place where we connect and spend quality time with one another, so it is a great shame they are not open for Mother’s Day again.

‘From a trade perspective, it does mean our pubs will miss out on some much-needed support too.

‘On a typical Mothering Sunday they would expect to sell 1.2million pints and 350,000 meals. That’s £8million in trade which they really could do with right now.

‘As ever, our locals are still doing all they can to serve their communities, despite the lockdown, safely. This has seen pubs innovate and create “make-aways”, cooking kits and more traditional takeaways.

‘Although it isn’t quite the same as being in the pub, it is the next best thing.’

Hospitality venues remain closed on mainland Scotland, with the country in Level 4 lockdown.

However, Nicola Sturgeon has signalled that from April 26 pubs, restaurants, cafes and bars could be allowed to open – with restrictive measures in place.

The date has been given as an indicative date for when Scotland could move into Level 3.

Previously this allowed hospitality venues to open between 6am and 6pm, with social distancing and strict rules forcing customers to wear masks when moving around inside.

Alcohol sales were not permitted for customers, whether they were sitting inside or outside.

The First Minister has hinted that restrictions within levels could change slightly, but has given no indication on what this could mean.

The SBPA previously claimed the Level 3 restrictions were ‘unworkable’, and industry bosses are understood to be seeking substantial changes from the Scottish Government in the coming months.

This includes proposing a 10.30pm closing time for pubs and restaurants, rather than 6pm and allowing people to order alcoholic drinks, even if they are not ordering food.

Miss Sturgeon will set out her plans to parliament on Tuesday.

Hospitality is said to directly employ more than 220,000 people – 8.6 per cent of Scotland’s jobs – and, indirectly, a further 120,000 people.

There are already fears that hotels, restaurants and bars are unlikely to break even until 2022 and potentially as far in the future as 2023 due to the impact of Covid-19.

Meanwhile, unions have claimed around 50,000 jobs have been lost in Scottish hospitality during the pandemic, with thousands of jobs lost due to the delay to the extension of the furlough scheme last October.

‘Pub roast is one of life’s pleasures’