“Help Out Hospitality will go to supporting businesses where they need it most”
Some of the biggest names in Scottish hospitality have joined forces to help safeguard around 220,000 jobs as the industry faces its third and toughest winter since the start of the pandemic.
Edinburgh’s Brewhemia; McKays Hotel in Perthshire; Links House at Royal Dornoch in Sutherland; Ingliston Country Club & Hotel in Renfrewshire; Tyneside Tavern and Mazzoli Italian Kitchen in East Lothian; and Banchory Lodge in Aberdeenshire are amongst over 50 hospitality firms and organisations already backing a new Scotland-wide ‘Help Out Hospitality’ campaign to support firms battling for survival due to rapidly escalating costs.
Commenting on this Barry Knight, Director of The Full Range, who spearheaded the campaign said: “Scotland’s hospitality industry employs around 220,000 people, which makes up around 8.6% of the country’s total jobs. The current cost-of-living crisis is having a significant impact on each and every operator, regardless of business size.”
Barry added: “The sector really is on ‘life support’ if help is not provided to trade more efficiently through the winter trading period. We think our new ‘Help Out Hospitality’ will go to supporting businesses where they need it most at this critical time.”
Energy is the biggest reported cost hike on top of massive increases in food and labour bills this winter.
Many business owners believe this could be a stretch too far without the vital support of initiatives like ‘Help Out Hospitality’, which is being led by The Full Range, one of the UK’s leading food and drink procurement firms.
Since last year, commercial energy bills are around 400% higher, food bills are up by around 20% and labour costs have increased by around 10%. The Bank of England’s biggest interest rate rise since 1989 (up by 0.75 percentage points to 3%), is also having an impact on consumers, who are already starting to tighten their belts further and cut spending on eating out.
Now, support has been drawn from across Scotland with hoteliers, restaurateurs and publicans, who are teaming up to highlight the scale of the crisis facing the industry and help drive footfall and bookings this winter.
Brian Breslin, General Manager, Mark Murphy and Dole Foodservice, Edinburgh, added: “We recognise the imperative for the hospitality sector and indeed the entire supply chain that serves it to collaborate and support one another as we face up to the cost-of-living crisis confronting consumers and businesses.”
Brian added: “Collective challenges require a collective response from all stakeholders. We’re consequently proud to be playing our part in supporting a creative initiative like ‘Help Out Hospitality’, one dedicated to providing very practical support to drive extra bookings and generate increased customer footfall.”
The ‘Help Out Hospitality’ Initiative has been designed to incorporate every aspect of the hospitality supply chain, including food and drink producers, allowing businesses to create enticing consumer deals on both meals and overnight stays at a time which typically sees a drop in business.
The new commission-free ‘Help Out Hospitality’ online platform is now live for hospitality businesses to promote offers, attract direct bookings and allow customers to enjoy the best value over the quieter winter months.
For more information about the ‘Help Out Hospitality’ campaign, to register and for a full list of participating businesses, visit www.helpouthospitality.com
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