Restaurant industry risks ‘lost generation’ without more support, top chefs warn
Raymond Blanc and Michel Roux Jr have warned that the restaurant industry risks losing a generation of talent and will “suffer enormously” amid fresh coronavirus restrictions and gaps in government support.
Industry figures have condemned the new 10pm curfew as “devastating”, while a quarter of hospitality businesses fear they will go bust by the end of the year without further government help.
Blanc, chef patron of Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, said that while state support for the sector had been “extremely generous” so far, the measures introduced in the government’s “winter plan for jobs” were “less generous”.
“There could be a lost generation of young people who would come into our industry and who will not,” the chef told The Sunday Times. “This industry will suffer enormously.”
Chancellor Rishi Sunak last week unveiled a new host of business relief measures, including a replacement for the furlough scheme, which ends next month.
New measures included a wage subsidy programme to support “viable” jobs, extensions to government-backed loan schemes, and extending the cut in VAT for the hospitality sector until March.
One in eight hospitality staff have already been made redundant, with many more jobs in the industry expected to be lost once the furlough scheme ends. One third of the three million employees currently on furlough work in the hospitality sector.
“In a time of crisis, it’s never been more important to look after our people,” said Roux.
Blanc, Roux and Clare Symth – the first female chef in the UK to win three Michelin stars – are joining forces to launch a partnership to support hospitality workers who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic.
Careerscope, which will launch tomorrow, is a partnership between five industry bodies, including UK Hospitality and the Institute of Hospitality. It aims to provide advice and resources for struggling hospitality workers.
“We were facing a staffing crisis before Covid-19. We need to take drastic action to ensure there is the next generation of chefs coming through when the industry recovers, when opportunities for chefs to grow and develop will be stronger than ever,” said Smyth.