'The end of EOTHO and the winding down of furlough is a cocktail that, for many, may turn sour'

As government support for the hospitality industry winds down, will the autumn be the hospitality industry's 'coup de grâce'?

In an Op-ed for The Independent on Sunday, chef and owner of The Wilderness in Birmingham Alex Claridge called on fellow restaurateurs to take their destiny in their own hands. 

He said: "As a restaurateur, one can’t and shouldn’t ignore the support that has been offered to this point," thanks to the introduction of "multiple loan options, business rate relief, furlough schemes, VAT relief and EOTHO." 

"I merely ask, as we sit on the precipice, where do we go from here?"

'This could be a chance to reinvent and reinvigorate the industry'

The chef, whose restaurant has remained closed throughout the summer as he recently explained in an interview with The Staff Canteen that the practicalities, the cost, and risk of reopening too soon were more than the business could stand - but who will be welcoming guests again from tomorrow, September 2nd, expressed gratitude for the government's support, saying that "I know many in less cushioned sectors would kill for the initiatives we have enjoyed."

However, he added, "unless they deliver a whole host of packages to save the economy," naming items on his wishlist as "making the 5 per cent VAT rate permanent, extending furlough and delivering a comprehensive package of support around landlords and renters," Covid-19 "will decimate the industry."  

However laudable the EOTHO scheme, the chef echoed the thoughts of some in the industry - which is that the scheme somehow cheapens what restaurants have to offer, instead of valuing it at its true worth. 

Alluding to the UK's desolate city centres, where restaurant footfall has been second to none since they were allowed to reopen their doors, he laid out what he believes will save the industry, and said: "I think we need more than ever to focus on the experience rather than the price."

"Venues that entice via the quality of product, their uniqueness, and their concept. This could be a chance to reinvent and reinvigorate the industry – if we don’t fall into the simplistic trap of offers, deals and stripping the soul out of our venues in pursuit of survival at all costs."

Restaurants and bars, he added, "could and should be the start of the fightback to rebuild ghost towns."

"Our time in the government spotlight is ending," he said. 

"It’s time to prove that all the public money we’ve invested in hospitality was worth it, and for us to become central to the places we occupy. The lifeline we’ve been thrown has stopped many of us from sinking, but we must not forget that now it’s our job to swim to shore. I hope my peers will swim with us."