Restaurant staff ‘devastated’ as doors shut on hospitality trade
A LEADING Edinburgh restaurateur has spoken of the devastation caused by the trading ban facing the hospitality industry in the central belt after controversial new measures were introduced to combat the second wave of Covid-19.
Roy Brett, chef patron of the awardwinning Ondine, said colleagues were left in tears after learning the Scottish Government had ordered the closure of pubs, bars and restaurants in large parts of Scotland for 16 days beginning at 6pm this evening, which heightened fears of mass redundancies.
The mood continued to darken across the industry yesterday in the wake of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s announcement in the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday, as hospitality operators questioned why the sector had been singled out for severe trading restrictions.
While the Scottish Government said surging infection rates necessitated radical measures in a bid to stop the virus in its tracks, there is widespread scepticism within the industry over the evidence cited by ministers linking the outlets with the spread of the disease.
An evidence paper published by ministers on Wednesday states that
Test and Protect data shows that the “percentage of individuals who have tested positive for Covid-19 and who have reported hospitality exposure (pubs, restaurants, cafes etc.) has been consistently over 20% in September and up to 26% in the period from the end of July to the beginning of
October.”
But industry figures say the numbers do not account for the fact these individuals may also have become infected in other settings, such as supermarkets, offices or public transport.
The measures apply to the areas covered by the Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Ayrshire & Arran, Forth Valley, and Lothian NHS boards, meaning businesses in Glasgow and Edinburgh come into their orbit.
Restaurants and hotels were hit by a deluge of booking cancellations as news of the restrictions broke, damaging trading prospects as the October school holidays get into full swing. However, the tourism industry has received some respite from the fact hotel residents can have meals, without alcohol, after 6pm.
Mr Brett, who has run Ondine for 11 years, said the restrictions are “absolutely devastating”, revealing that he had received around 300 booking cancellations on Wednesday night.
He added: “I had staff in tears, just broken. I have got young, talented professional people in my team. They are talking to me as young chefs and waiting teams and [asking] “have we still still go got a job? Are we going to get clo closed down?”
“The conversation is not about produce, “Scotland’s land of food and drink” or hospitality. It is not about what dishes we are creating. T There is a genuine fear am amongst the team that their time time i is coming.
“h “That is i the devastating part for me.” Glasgow restaurateur Alan Tomkins, whose portfolio includes Vroni’s Wine Bar and the Blue Dog late night music bar, said the latest restrictions were much more severe than the industry had anticipated. He said his “biggest concern” was the risk of virus rates
spiking if it leads people to socialise in homes “if they do not have the opportunity to go to a controlled environment such as a restaurant”.
Marc Crothall, chief executive of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, said the “severity” and “complexity” of the restrictions surprised the sector.
He noted: “Everybody is trying to grapple with… how to make the best possible chance of what is in front of them for the next 16 days. We know there are businesses that are just not going to be in a position to actually open. It doesn’t become a viable proposition, particularly those who are heavily dependent on wet sales.”
Asked if the £40 million support package announced by ministers would help, Mr Crothall forecast that will ultimately amount to just £1,000 for each business, stating that is “nowhere near” enough.
He said one operator had told him it will cost £10,000 for each of his seven pubs to stay closed for the 16 days, when staff costs, utility bills and other overheads are taken into account.
Operators highlighted the strain now faced by suppliers to the hospitality trade because of the new shutdown. In the case of Ondine, these include its shellfish supplier. Mr Brett said: “He has been cancelled on big time. He has got a holding tank of thousands of scallops going nowhere. It is not just the restaurant sector, it is everybody that is associated with us.”
There was a U-turn yesterday when it emerged that licensed cafes could trade between 6am and 6pm, as long as they do not sell alcohol. While the move was welcomed by some businesses, it led to questions over why licensed cafes could trade while other licensed premises such as restaurants will be forced to close. The Scottish Government was expected to issue fresh guidance on licensed cafes last night. Jack Cummins, licensing director at law firm Miller Samuel Hill Brown, said it was impossible to predict what that guidance would entail, and declared: “This nose-bleeding change right up to the eleventh hour is hugely unsettling and unfair.”
I had staff in tears, just broken. They are asking me if they still have a job