"London has the greatest hospitality scene on the planet. Bar none. There is no finer place to eat or drink out. You might expect us to say that, of course, but you do not have to take our word for it. This month London topped Tripadvisor's list of the best food destinations in the world, ahead of Dubai, Rome, Hong Kong and Paris."
"So it is all the more mystifying to us that the Government seems determined to make life such an existential struggle for what should be one of the capital's and the nation's greatest crown jewels. Not since a fresh-faced 21-year-old Ramsay arrived in the capital in 1987 to work at Harvey's, Marco Pierre White's restaurant in Wandsworth, has the outlook been so bleak."
"Hospitality was, by definition, one of the worst-hit sectors during the pandemic. A waiter cannot work from home; nor can a chef. The sector dug deep and used all its ingenuity and determination to find a way to struggle through to those blissful days when lockdowns were lifted. But in many cases that meant taking on huge Covid recovery loans to stay afloat. Some operators are still paying them off."
London's hospitality scene ranks as the world's leading food destination, surpassing Dubai, Rome, Hong Kong and Paris. Government policy pressures and rising costs are creating an existential struggle for the capital's hospitality sector. The pandemic devastated hospitality because staff cannot work remotely, forcing many venues to take large Covid recovery loans that remain unpaid. Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine triggered an energy-cost explosion, more than doubling bills for venues with heavy heating and cooling needs. Inflation cascaded into higher food and drink costs, while the cost-of-living crisis reduced consumer frequency and spending in restaurants and bars.
Read at www.standard.co.uk
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