You can find fine dining at a variety of restaurants across Britain, with thousands dropping reservations in the face of rising Covid fears.
Last-minute bookings are accepted at prestigious Michelin-starred restaurants across the UK as celebrities chefs struggle with the realities of empty tables in the otherwise-busy holiday season.
Heston Blumenthal, three Michelin-starred restaurant The Fat Duck in Bray (Berkshire), is currently offering table for four parties at peak times in January. Le Gavroche London has the ability to accommodate diners from as early as Saturday December 18.
Two Michelin-starred pub The Hand and Flowers is now offering two tables for two in Marlow (Buckinghamshire) in less than two days.
Industry experts worry that the government’s alarmist messages about the Omicron mutant strain could affect customer confidence during what should have been a peak time for bars, restaurants and pubs.
Festive takings will fall up to 40% in December. These are crippling venues which survived previous lockdowns but did not receive financial support.
And celebrity chef Tom Kerridge today warned ‘restaurants will crumble’ under new Covid-19 rules unless the Government steps in after revealing one of his eateries faced the grim reality of 654 cancellations over the course of a week.
At the Le Gavroche, a two Michelin-starred restaurant in London, there can be a waiting list of up to three months.
Booking a table at the restaurant was easy. Last-minute reservations are available starting Saturday, December 18.
The Hand and Flowers in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, is offering dinner tables for two at 9pm in just two days time
Heston Blumenthal is the man behind The Fat Duck, Berkshire’s famous three Michelin star.
The Fat Duck tables are not easy to find, however bookings for popular times at The Fat Duck remain possible in January (pictured).
Reservations for dinner at London’s most difficult-to-find venues like The Ritz Restaurant, Claude Bosi’s Bibendum or Restaurant Story require patience and a little bit of luck.
MailOnline was pleasantly surprised to discover that this theory worked when they tested it tonight.
It takes four to five days to secure a table at the two Michelin stars Bibendum, Chelsea. However, those looking for fine French cuisine may be able book a table here for one weekend.
Friday Live at the Ritz can still be booked by customers for the beginning week of the New Year, while Restaurant Story, a two-Michelin-star restaurant, is available at peak hours on Friday December 17.
Normally, it takes four to five days to grab a table at the Michelin-starred Claude Bosi at Bibendum in Chelsea (pictured).
However, punters who are looking for French food can book tables at this table for the weekend.
To make a reservation for dinner at The Ritz restaurant in London, which is often difficult to find, it takes patience and good fortune.
The Friday Live at Ritz is still available for bookings in the first week 2022
This is the story all across the UK. As Plan B Covid restrictions ramp up, consumer confidence seems to be in decline.
Many of the lucrative Christmas parties that would have been a source of income for ambling companies have since been cancelled. The executives are now worried about what festive jamborees may be perceived online.
Adam Hyman, a hospitality manager, wrote in The Daily Mail that there was a risk that employees could contract the virus and spread it. There is also a greater fear of bad publicity. This is all about perceptions.
“Bosses are choosing to be cautious because there is no clear direction from Whitehall.
Michel Roux Jr., a Michelin-starred chef and owner of the Le Gavroche restaurant in London, stated that his daughter would be losing her business due to recent cancellations.
It is believed that ministers discussed the possibility of closing hospitality businesses in a matter of weeks to curb spread of Omicron.
Whitehall officials have proposed to restrict the number of persons allowed into pubs and restaurants in the UK. This has triggered a new wave of New Years Eve party cancellations, further destabilizing the sector.
Sacha Lord was Greater Manchester’s night-time industry advisor.
Lord stated: “I have said the exact same thing ever since I first heard about Omicron’s new variant. Where is the Chancellor?”
December is the most lucrative month of the year for venues. The damage to the sector’s hospitality industry won’t be reversed if the Chancellor fails to act swiftly and provide support packages. For many venues, it’s too late.
Michel Roux Jr. is a Michelin star chef and has been running the Le Gavroche in London for 23 years. He explained that his restaurant was now at a disadvantage due to several cancellations.
Restaurant Story, two Michelin stars is available at peak hours on Friday December 17.
On Instagram last night, Tom 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 understand the reasons and I have no problems with their letting me know. Public health is the most important thing.
“The question is, what can the government do for the hospitality industry to be supported? Many places are going to crumble without help…. But before the gammon-faced idiot claims, “You can afford it fat lad!” ….. yes I probably can, but this isn’t about me or my restaurants. This is about the livelihoods of people and our industry.
Bosses stated that Omicron was a threat and the new work from home guidance were warnings made by government officials to many punters. They decided it didn’t make sense for them to hold their holiday gatherings.
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’
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
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.
The Government granted the support to the hospitality industry last year, including a decrease in business rates and furloughs for employees. Councils handed more than £11 billion to 880,000 small businesses in 2020 – but this Christmas businesses have been left with nothing.
The announcement comes at a time when Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin warns that restrictions from the government could force it to lose in the first six month of this year.
He said that, “For reasons best understood by themselves, possibly to encourage more vaccines, the UK government’s advisers create an entirely new and frightening impression about the variant which seems at odds with South African experience.”
He added that the country was headed towards a ‘lockdown by stealth.