UK Hospitality daily update 7th May

As we gear up for the Prime Minister’s briefing on Sunday the media has already been in full swing speculating on leaked draft proposals for getting Britain back to work and what might be. UKHospitality has been in conversations with Government officials and we do not expect there to be any instant changes announced, but rather an indication for when we might see things start to reopen.

 

UKHospitality is in talks with Government on what a plan for hospitality should include and will shortly be publishing our recommendations. Please ensure you are signed up to our daily Covid-19 update email if you would like the most timely information on this as it progresses.

If you'd like to get in touch to discuss any of this or the topics mentioned below, please email us at info@ukhospitality.org.uk.

Best wishes,

The UKHospitality Team

Coronavirus update

At the last Number 10 press briefing Government encouraged local authorities and local resilience forums to develop a restart and recovery plan to include guidance how businesses can adapt for opening and public transport networks can be operated. The ambition is to ensure people feel safe returning to work.

 

Western Morning News asked what the Government will be doing to support seasonal businesses like those on the coast. In response Robert Jenrick MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pointed to the current financial support and stressed that the PM and Chancellor had confirmed that if further interventions are required to support a sector such as tourism and hospitality, they will be considered and bring forward measures when needed.

 

Media highlights

The Mail on Sunday reported on UKHospitality’s asks for an extension of the current support when lockdown is eased in two of their articles. This was also covered by The Mirror which also reported on the difficulties of social distancing for some hospitality businesses, as also covered by Yahoo News.

The FT, The Mirror and the Daily Express covered our warning for furlough support to be extended or jobs will be at risk. While the BBC reported on the issue around the furlough extension.

Guidance for businesses seeking to help during the coronavirus

The Government has now published guidance on how businesses can offer services, funds, and volunteers to support civil society during the coronavirus outbreak. Information can be found here.

 

Tom Aikens teams up with Only a Pavement Away for charity cooking challenge

The initiative invites participants to cook a meal in five minutes, donate £5 to the Hospitality Against Homelessness campaign, nominate five friends to pass on the challenge, and share their videos to social media with #fiveminutefeast and #hospitalityagainsthomelessness. The Hospitality Against Homelessness initiative was launched by Only A Pavement Away with significant support from Yummy Pub Co., Paul Pavli and The Strand Palace hotel, which is storing food donations, cooking meals and has sourced a team of volunteers to distribute them to those in need. All money raised will go towards helping people get out of destitution following the COVID-19 crisis, and get them back into roles within the hospitality industry. 

To take part in the Tom Aikens Charity Cooking Challenge, or to find out more about the vital work undertaken by Only A Pavement Away, then visit www.onlyapavementaway.co.uk or keep an eye on the social media pages Facebook: @onlyapavementaway, Twitter: @apavementaway, Instagram: @only_a_pavement_away and LinkedIn: Only A Pavement Away.

Letter to the Chancellor asking for inclusion of troncs

WMT Troncmaster Services Ltd has written to the Chancellor with the support of UKHospitality and a large number of hospitality businesses as co-signatories, asking for the inclusion of tronc payments under the Job Retention Scheme. Copies have also been sent to Mr Steve Baker MP and to Paul Scully MP, the Minister for Small Business.

 

Petition for Fair Furlough

David Loewi, Chairman of The Restaurant Association – a subsidiary of UKHospitality - has launched the #FairFurlough campaign to lobby government to change its decision to not include earnings from tips and service charge in furlough pay. You can support the campaign by signing this petition.

 

Safer workplaces campaign

UKHospitality has contributed to the safer work place guidelines that are being developed by Government. This fed into the consultation as part of the suite of guidance on safe workplaces. The FT reported on what the guidelines might include after leaked papers were shared with the media. 

 

Now Pause campaign

UKH is backing a new industry initiative that aims to support the mental health of hospitality workers who are experiencing stress and anxiety as a result of the coronavirus crisis. Now Pause offers a free self-care toolkit and podcasts designed by wellbeing coach Andrew Johnson to help stay positive and live less stressfully.

 

Care for Others. Make a Difference

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has launched a new national recruitment campaign, ‘Care for Others. Make a Difference’. The campaign seeks to generate a mass show of appreciation for care workers across the country, while continuing to raise awareness of existing opportunities available within the sector. Furloughed workers seeking temporary work may want to consider jobs in this sector. Temporary jobs can be found on the Caterer.com website, which is also supporting this campaign.

Business rates revaluation postponed

A revaluation of business rates will no longer take place in 2021 to help reduce uncertainty for firms affected by the impacts of coronavirus. UKHospitality has stated that fresh revaluation must reflect changes in property prices, and knock-on to rents and has called for an extension of the business rate holiday through 2021.

FCA letter for action on insurance payouts

The FCA has sent a letter seeking a court declaration to resolve contractual uncertainty in business interruption insurance cover. UKHospitality is looking to work together with the FCA and put forward our recommendations to ensure results for businesses.

UKHospitality working groups

The UKH groups working on restart principles for pubs, restaurants, QSR/coffee shops and hotels met this week, and are continuing to feed into the working principles for a safe restart for the different elements of hospitality.

APPG COVID-19 recovery roundtables

As part of our ongoing programme of work, UKHospitality has hosted three roundtables, all focusing on different aspects of post COVID-19 recovery. The sessions were closely aligned to the questions asked by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Hospitality and Tourism’s ‘Pathways to Recovery’ inquiry. On Monday we were joined by businesses from across the hospitality industry for a discussion on what the sectors within hospitality needed to bounce back when lockdown measures are eased. Thursday’s session focused exclusively on supply chains, with representatives from Deliveroo, Budweiser Brewing Company and the WSTA providing insight into the challenges facing businesses and their supply chains as a result of COVID-19.

To view the session on tourism requirements, click here and the session on hospitality needs, here. The recording for the supply chain session will be available here shortly.

 

Industry stepping up plans for a depleted market post-lockdown

The latest CGA Business Confidence Survey reveals that operators remain deeply pessimistic about both market prospects and the future of their own businesses, with a third (32%) of senior executives anticipating the need to permanently close pub, bar and restaurant sites. You can download the report here.

 

RaiseTheBar campaign

As the eight-week countdown to the next quarterly rent instalment has started, the #RaiseTheBar campaign is seeking to effect changes in the Government eligibility criteria for RHLG funds to support all 54,638 businesses falling within a business rates threshold of £51,000 to £150,000. The campaign has secured cross-party support. UKHospitality supports the campaign while urging Government to go further and scrap the cap altogether. More information on how to support the campaign can be found here.

Pest and hygiene issues for closed businesses webinar

CIEH is running a webinar on the pest and hygiene issues that are likely to result from extended closures and how both business owners can address them. The webinar is taking place on 14 May at 10.30am, click here to register.

Food and Drink Sector Council

The Food and Drink Sector Council met this week to look at a successful restart for the whole food and drink supply chain. UKH contributed key points around continued Government support and a phased return for hospitality, which will need to form an important part of this.

Virtual meeting with Shadow Cabinet Minsters

UKHospitality Chief Executive, Kate Nicholls, has spoken with Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds MP and Shadow BEIS Secretary, Ed Miliband MP about the hospitality sector’s challenges and asks of Government relating to coronavirus. Included in discussions was the need for an extended, more flexible furlough system for our sector, which also reflects past tronc payments. It is of particular note that UKHospitality was invited to talk to these shadow ministers as they are at the highest levels of Opposition under its new leadership. This further strengthens UKHospitality’s lobbying efforts and is a testament to how UKHospitality is being received and considered by decision makers.  

 

Events committee

The UKH Events Committee, responsible for the strategy, development and execution of the UKH events programme, met via Zoom this week. The 12-strong committee discussed the postponement of the UKH Golf Day and Summer Conference. The Committee also discussed the plans for the UKH Xmas Lunch and Alpine Conference. Ideas for future events and the 2021 events strategy were also discussed. It will meet again on 24 June at 4pm.

 

UKH Restaurant Association breakfast

On Monday UKH brought together its fine dining restaurant members to provide an update on the business support available from Government and understand plans for reopening and recovery. Of key concern was the extension of the coronavirus job retention scheme including the need for furlough payments to include tronc payments. It was agreed for members to make representations to their MP’s in support of UKHospitality’s central lobby.