Tom Kerridge, star chef and entrepreneur has said that restaurants will collapse under the new Covid-19 rules. He revealed 654 cancellations in one of his restaurants.
48 year old English Michelin-starred chef asked the government ‘what can they do to support hospitality?’ He called for ‘help’ in the face growing fear of New Year’s lockdown.
A video was shared by Mr Kerridge that included a printed page with 176 table cancelations. The Britons locked themselves in a room to prevent them from being caught Covid-19 during the Christmas holiday.
Already, there is pressure on the government to improve support for hospitality companies after revellers saw bookings disappear overnight after plans B were introduced to combat Omicron.
One London hotel told MailOnline it was expecting £100,000 worth of losses from cancelled events, rooms and covers – and said many staff were fearing for their jobs given the extent the industry relies on a lucrative Christmas period.
Tom Kerridge (pictured), 48 asked what the government would do to support hospitality in the face of growing concerns about New Year’s lockdown.
A video was shared by Mr Kerridge that shows pages printed with 176 table cancels. It is a great example of how Britons locked themselves down in preparation for Christmas Day
The Government granted the support to the Hospitality industry last year, including a decrease in business rates, furlough for employees and grants. Councils handed more than £11 billion to 880,000 small businesses in 2020 – but this Christmas bosses have been left with nothing.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is prepared to loosen the money taps again if ministers decide closures are necessary, according to a Treasury source, although they insisted this does not mean further restrictions were now more likely.
According to The Times, if we get to the point where we tell businesses they must close their doors, then it’s not unreasonable to expect them additional government support.
“That might mean that the furlough system is being reinstated, however, depending on what restrictions, there may be other methods of providing this support.
Tim Martin, Wetherspoon’s chief trading officer, warned that government restrictions could cause it to lose its first half of the year.
He said that the nation was moving towards “a lockdown of stealth”.
On Instagram last night, Mr Kerridge penned: ‘So, here we are…. This is the list of cancellations taken in one of our restaurants in the past six days…. 654 guests.
“I fully understand their reasoning and would not mind them telling us. The most important thing is public health.
The problem is: What will the government do? Many places are going to crumble without help…. Before some idiot with gammon faces says “you can afford it fat lady!” ….. yes I probably can, but this isn’t about me or my restaurants. This is about the livelihood of people and our industry.
On Instagram last night, Mr Kerridge penned: ‘So, here we are…. This is the list of cancellations taken in one of our restaurants in the past six days…. 654 guests’
BBC Radio 5 Live’s Nihal Arthanayake said that he was forced to cancel his table due to the Omicron variant spreading rapidly
Above is the current speed of the booster program (green bars), and the future pace (red bars) that it must accelerate to reach the target of one million jabs per day. NHS chiefs warn that scaling up the program will prove difficult.
NHS data indicates that people aged over 60 who have had a chance to receive a Covid boost since September are still eligible.
BBC Radio 5 Live’s Nihal Arthanayake stated that he had to cancel the table because of the Omicron variant’s rapid spread.
He stated that he had to cancel the table for 8 because Covid was in half of those households. It was a terrible experience for us all.
Ugo Monye from Strictly Come Dancing offered assistance, saying: ‘Big brother. Monday night, if there is a place in London that you’d like to reserve, then I’m open for it.
Jamie Laing from Made in Chelsea said, “Tom sending love and support to you all and everybody in the business over this period.”
GBBO winner Candice Brown – who runs the Green Man pub in Eversholt, Beds – added: ‘It’s a f*****g nightmare. Today we had 40 cancellations. This week and the next are terrifying for me. We are to keep going.
Raymond Blanc called the scene ‘carnage’. He said, “I know that my dear friend is exactly the same in Brasserie Blanc.” It is carnage, and everyone hopes that the Government will support the industry.
Last night, Covid passes and mask wearing in public spaces were approved by Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Plan B. Restaurants and pubs can continue to function as usual.
Christmas is the busiest time for restaurants and pubs, however UK Hospitality estimates that the takings could drop by as much as 40% in central London.
The Guardian reported that data it published from Monday through Sunday last week revealed a 13% drop in trade and an increase of 15% in cancellations in the country compared to pre-pandemic levels.