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As a youngster, I heard of a tantalising annual tradition attempted by only the hardiest folk from the Tynemouth area. On Christmas morning, the challenge is to make one’s way down to the small beach overlooked by the Lord Collingwood statue and wade out into the sea until, albeit briefly, fully submerged, before legging it up and over the headland and repeating the feat in King Edward’s Bay.
Then, make your way to a nearby establishment to knock back a fortifying drink. I never attempted it, or even know of anyone who has; nor would I recommend it. Still, the image of a bare- chested Geordie sprinting out into the biting North Sea surf is as romantic a Christmas image as almost any I could conjure.
Tradition also dictates that January follows December and the beginning of another year. Three months into the new year will mark the first anniversary of the formation of UKHospitality and we have achieved a significant amount in our first year. We helped drive a sector-wide campaign to tackle single-use plastics and managed to avoid the imposition of a latte levy. We undertook a thorough investigation into the challenges of recruiting in the sector and secured a sector deal for tourism. We have also positioned ourselves as one of the UK’s premier trade associations in the eyes of the Government and increasingly find ourselves representing the sector at the highest levels.
There is still plenty to achieve and, like a blindly-optimistic child in possession of an Argos catalogue and no grasp of reality, our Christmas wish list will be long and formidable. The chief concern for businesses continues to be Brexit and the knock- on effect that any kind of withdrawal will bring. We’re currently in a kind of
Kate Nicholls UKHospitality Chief Executive
ONS DATA Highlights Urgent Need for Pub Support
UKHospitality has warned again that rising costs threaten investment and jobs in the pub sector and called on the Government to support valuable businesses.
The warning follows a report from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), Economies of Ale, outlining changes to the UK’s pub industry.
no man’s land regarding the deal and, as I write this, anticipating the vote in Parliament with trepidation. If you’re reading this after the vote has taken place, then it is to be hoped that we have avoided a no deal scenario that would be seriously problematic for hospitality businesses.
Key to ensuring the hospitality’s industry success post-Brexit will lie in a future immigration system that allows businesses to hire. So far, the Government has signalled it intends to implement a future policy that could exclude 80-90% of hospitality jobs. One of our key aims next year will be to avoid the introduction of such a system.
Costs continue to spiral like a courgette in a rotating vegetable slicer and the issue of unfair business rates still needs to be sorted. The Government has made a few concessions but there is still no sign of the complete overhaul that was promised in the Conservative manifesto. We will, of course, be holding the Government’s feet to the fire like the proverbial chestnut, to push for an overhaul of the system.
There will be more that we want to realise, and we feel like we’re in a very good position to achieve our aims, building on the success of 2018. Next year will be a monumental one for the UK, not just the hospitality sector. Until then, merry Christmas and a happy new year.
UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “L
ooking at this data,
it is clear that pubs are facing challenges, but that they are also crucial providers of jobs around the UK. The new report underlines the need f
or support
from Government to ensure that vital businesses are not squeezed further.
“Almost one quarter of pubs have closed since 2008 and, with costs continuing to increase, many of them are unlikely to ever reopen. Turnover has also remained stagnant f
or the sector since the
recession and is significantly lower than the pre-recession high, despite customer spend remaining relatively stable. This is a sure sign that costs are continuing to increase, and margins squeezed as a result.
“Despite this, pubs are investing in their teams and employment in the sector has increased significantly since the low in 2010. The number of people working in pubs is back to pre- recession levels, but this will be under threat if costs continue to rise. This year’s UKHospitality Christie & Co Benchmarking Report showed costs for the sector at 52.5% of turnover, the highest in the 12-year history of the report. The new report from the ON
S is another
reminder that, despite the best efforts of the sector to provide jobs, unless rising costs are addressed, pubs will continue to close.”
6 DECEMBER 2018
WWW.VENUE-INSIGHT.COM
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