‘An all time low’: UK hospitality bosses say industry is fighting for survival
The sector is facing many challenges, not least the cost of living crisis that could push the price of a pint to £7
Adrian Forte, owner of The Duck, a bar and restaurant in Bournemouth, describes the current circumstances in which his venue has to operate as unprecedented.
Adrian Forte, owner of The Duck, a bar and restaurant in Bournemouth, describes the current circumstances in which his venue has to operate as unprecedented.
“I’ve been in the business for 40 years, and I’ve never seen such a perfect storm,” he says. “First Brexit, causing all these staff shortages, then Covid, and now the cost of living crisis. We feel like we are being squeezed on all sides.”
Up and down the country, restaurants, pubs and hotels have been driven to the brink: more than a third of UK hospitality businesses said in October last year they could go bust within months amid surging energy bills and declining bookings.
Nine months later, the venues that have survived the winter are battling inflation, a staffing crisis, patchy customer demand and soaring interest rates that have had knock-on effects on various parts of the industry.
“We were looking at opening a second site, but that’s been put on ice,” Forte says. “The end of freedom of movement has really stuffed the industry.
“We struggle to find one new chef when one leaves, we couldn’t face trying to find five new chefs for a new bar. We’ve had to put wages up by 10%, to retain staff. Our energy costs have doubled, food costs in general are up about 20%, beer prices have gone through the roof. In March they rose by 20% and our supplier just said there’s another rise in the pipeline.
“We’ve introduced £6-for-a-pint with that rise, and you’re asking yourself whether you can charge £7 for a pint of beer – perhaps you can do that in London, but not so much down here.”