Turkish restaurants not delighted by effects of Brexit uncertainty
Turkish restaurant owners in north London are being squeezed by uncertainty over the UK’s impending departure from the European Union and the political instability that could lead to a general election in December.
A series of missed deadlines for leaving the EU is being blamed for a nationwide slowdown in consumer spending.
The UK was supposed to leave on March 29, then October 31, with a new deadline of January 31, 2020, announced this week.
But a drop in sterling has affected importers even without leaving.
Orders of halloumi, popular in Turkish cuisine but sourced almost exclusively from EU member Cyprus, have been especially affected.
While a weekly order of halloumi once cost £45 (Dh212), the same amount of the cheese now costs £48.
Husein Akkuyu, who voted to remain in the EU and helps run London’s Stone Cave restaurant, said the effects of Brexit were already being felt.
“Most of our vegetables have become more expensive,” he said.
Mr Akkuyu said his restaurant relied heavily on deliveries of fresh ingredients from Europe and there had been across-the-board increases.
“Only our potatoes come from England,” he said.
As well as disrupting the supply of ingredients and produce from Europe, Brexit could cause other headaches for restaurant owners.
“We are going to be short of staff,” he said.
Brexit uncertainty has made the UK less attractive to workers from overseas, especially those in Europe, he said.
Across north London’s Turkish restaurant scene, businesses are being hit.
Oliver Alpasar, assistant manager at the Urfa Ocakbasi restaurant in Stoke Newington, said fellow restaurateurs were depressed by the ongoing Brexit drama.
“The Turkish community in London is mostly known for its restaurants and food businesses,” he said. “The first thing to go” in times of uncertainty, he said, was eating out.
“It is seen as something that can be cut down on.”
The first Turks arrived in
England in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The Turkish population in the UK has grown in fits and starts since the 1950s, with new arrivals peaking in the 1970s as thousands of Turkish Cypriots fled the conflict on the Mediterranean island.
Almost 90 per cent of the UK’s Turkish population live in London, including as many as 400,000 Turkish Cypriots concentrated in areas of north and north-east London, such as Hackney, Enfield and Haringey.
Despite Brexit’s negative effect on trade – planning documents given to Parliament last month said a no-deal scenario would severely disrupt food imports from Europe – the Turkish community sits on both sides of the debate.
“To be honest with you, I voted for Brexit,” said Hakan Sefteli, who is the manager at Derran restaurant.
“I think it will be good for the country in the long run.”
Mr Sefteli said that restaurants were already under pressure from increased competition and the changing eating habits of Londoners.
“People follow trends and people are trying new things,” he said.
The rise of vegetarianism and veganism has also hit business.
But Mr Sefteli, 26, was bullish about the rising costs of ingredients.
“If prices go up, we’ll just put ours up,” he said.
“Just because a meal might cost 50p more, you’re not going to go home and cook, are you?”
For Mr Sefteli, despite Brexit disruption, London remains an attractive place to do business.
“If your business is bad in London, then you should try something else,” he said.