'If they don’t give it to another fuckwit this could be a good idea' chefs back Minister for Hospitality petition

The Staff Canteen

Since reopening in July, the hospitality sector has lost 160,000 jobs - 20,000 of those in the last three weeks alone.

There are 900,000 workers still on furlough and 1 in 5 premises are still closed. Without additional support the industry is facing over half a million job losses in the next few weeks if the northern and national restrictions we are expecting are announced. 

With no representation in Parliament, the government was ill-equipped to assess the potential damages of its policy, or the ways in which these might have been mitigated. Some of the nation’s best chefs and hospitality representatives are urging the UK government to impose a Minister for Hospitality and they have created a petition which has so far been backed by over 5,000 people. 

The group, that includes world renowned chefs including Marcus Wareing, Angela Hartnett, Asma Khan and Tom Kerridge, is calling for the appointment of a Minister for Hospitality to the UK government to ensure the representation of the interests of one of the country’s leading industries in Parliament.

Although some may be sceptical, the campaign is gathering momentum.

Responsible for around 3m jobs, generating £130bn in activity and contributing £38bn in taxation annually, the sector has been impacted heavily by Covid19 and the government’s thoughtless policy and communication surrounding the pandemic.

The group argues that, having a representative voice in Parliament, as the Arts and Sports sectors do, would have been beneficial during what has been an exceptionally trying 6 months for the sector. Lockdown and the government’s contradictory communication around it was the start of many difficulties for the industry, with the introduction of a curfew across the country the latest.

Sign the petition here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/552201

 

 

In these challenging times…

The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall  – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.

Over the last 16 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 560,000 followers across Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.

A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.

Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.

The Staff Canteen

The Staff Canteen

Editor 9th October 2020

'If they don’t give it to another fuckwit this could be a good idea' chefs back Minister for Hospitality petition