Chef Tom Kerridge says restaurants will ‘collapse’ as 650 people cancel flights
TV chef Tom Kerridge has warned many restaurants will ‘collapse’ as booking cancellations happen rapidly due to new Covid restrictions.
The Michelin-starred restaurant reveals how more than 650 reservations were processed at one of its own establishments in the past six days.
He posted a video on his Instagram account showing pages that have canceled bookings – as he urged ministers to support the hospitality industry.
Mr Kerridge, who runs a chain of restaurants, including the two-Michelin-starred Hand & Flowers pub in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, told his 609,000 followers: ‘So here we are… Here’s the list Cancellations made at one of our restaurants in the last six days… 654 guests.
‘I completely understand why and have no problem with them letting us know. Public health is paramount.
‘The question is, what will the government do to support the hospitality industry? Many places will collapse without help….
“And before a fool facing gammon says ‘you can buy it, fat boy! “…Yes, I can, but this isn’t about me or my restaurants. It’s about our industry and people’s livelihoods.’
The post drew hundreds of sympathetic comments, including one from the winner of the Great British Bake Off, Candice Brown, who runs The Green Man pub in Eversholt, Bedfordshire and describes the situation as a ‘nightmare’.
She wrote: ‘We had at least 40 cancellations today! I am appalled for this and next week! However, we must continue…’
Meanwhile, First Dates star Fred Sirieux, general manager of the Michelin-starred Galvin at the Windows restaurant in Mayfair, central London said he witnessed a ‘tsunami of cancellations’ ‘ how.
He warned the consequences would be ‘catastrophic’ for the industry.
“Employees will lose their jobs and earnings between now and January with no hope of getting a new job,” he tweeted.
“Not only that, I fear that this will increase the staff shortage even further.”
Chef Sally Abe said the Blue Boar Pub in Westminster suffered 110 cancellations on Tuesday.
The spike in cancellations occurred as Omicron spread so quickly that it was ‘alarming’, with leading expert Dr Jenny Harries warning this variant ‘is probably the most significant threat we face right since the beginning of the pandemic’.
Last night MPs voted in favor of further measures to combat Omicron, with masks now mandatory in more indoor places including cinemas and theaters.
Discreet passports will be needed to enter major events and nightclubs and people will be urged to work from home.
But in a further blow to the hospitality industry, pubs and restaurants could be forced to close again if Covid ‘Easy Plan’‘ done, it was announced on Sunday.
The furlough plan could be back if tougher measures are introduced to deal with Omicron, a treasury source told Time: ‘If we get to the position where we’re telling businesses they have to close then it’s not unreasonable for them to expect extra government support.
‘That could mean a return to the furlough scheme but depending on what, if any, extra restrictions are needed, there may be other ways to provide that support.’
However, the Night Time Industry Association (NTIA) has criticized the government for leaving businesses facing ’12 days of misery over Christmas’ as the organization called on ministers to urgently support financial aid.
NTIA chief executive Michael Kill said: ‘It is clear that the Government has left the sector to face 12 days of misery over Christmas, with no mandated restrictions on trade but still a reduction. significantly – just as the Prime Minister did initially. March 2020 before he was finally forced to close.
‘Night-working businesses are particularly dependent on festival time to help them get through the rest of the winter – without this the result is a threat to the very existence of thousands. businesses and jobs.’
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https://metro.co.uk/2021/12/15/chef-tom-kerridge-says-restaurants-will-crumble-as-650-cancel-on-him-15778084/ Chef Tom Kerridge says restaurants will 'collapse' as 650 people cancel flights
