‘Pressing challenges’ for hospitality sector despite restrictions easing

The hospitality sector is facing a shortage of more than 20,000 workers as it tries to rebuild from the "devastating" effects of the pandemic, leaders have warned. The British Beer and Pub Association and The British Institute of Innkeeping said staff vacancies, delivery delays and price inflationwere"pressingchallenges" despitethelong-awaitedeasing of restrictions this week.

The current "pingdemic" was exacerbatingtheproblem,with as many as a fifth of staff in the sector isolating at any one time, forcing operators to reduce operatinghoursortoclosevenues completely.

A survey of more than 350 businesses operating tens of thousands of venues found that all of them currently have staffvacancies,mainlyfront-ofhouse (84 per cent), non-head chefs (67 per cent) and kitchen porters (36 per cent) while a third are experiencing managerial role vacancies.

Vacancy levels are running at 10 per cent across the sector, implying a shortage of more than 200,000 workers, the groups said.

Almost all hospitality busiukhospitality, nesses (94 per cent) are experiencing difficulties with their supply chain, the poll found. Some 66 per cent have reduced product lines, 63 per cent are seeing delays in deliveries, 60 per cent are experiencing products not turning up and 56 per cent are seeing major price inflation.

Leaders also warned that a return to a VAT rate of 20 per cent next year would have negativeimpactsonthevastmajority of businesses. in the form of investment and job cuts, while 21 per cent said they would be facing failure.

The sector is calling for additional business rates relief.