'Support Sheffield's hospitality industry - without your help, it won’t survive'

Until a few weeks ago, we were doing pretty well. We were finding ways to operate in the “new normal”.

A normal where we had more staff serving less people, and we were all suddenly expected to be experts in disease control.

Many businesses were struggling, but it felt like we might have a fighting chance. That was until the 10PM curfew was announced.

Calling orders just after 9PM has meant that literally millions of working hours are lost every day that the curfew is in effect.

Hundreds of thousands of jobs have been placed at risk by a policy that SAGE, the Government’s own advisory panel, said was “likely to have a marginal impact”.

In fact, of all the policies implemented by the government, the curfew has been the most damaging for the hospitality industry. It’s got many of asking, “What’s the point?”.

Knowing what we know now, many businesses would simply not have reopened after the initial lockdown. We’ve taken out loans we can’t afford to make our venues “COVID-Secure”.

We’ve spent thousands buying outdoor tables, heaters, plastic screens, masks, visors, gloves, and more. All so we could open in a way that meant that our staff and our guests would be safe.

Bringing in the 10pm curfew made all of that pointless.

Suddenly restaurants lost half their trade as tables after 8 became a race against time.

Bars were worse affected, with some losing more than six hours trade a night. Nightclubs that had found ways to reopen safely were thrown back into limbo.

Staff were let go left, right, and centre, as businesses simply couldn’t afford to pay them.

On top of that, a vocal minority decided to start taking out their frustration out on any waiter, waitress, or bartender who dared ask them to wear a mask or sign in to Track and Trace.

Please believe me when I say that hospitality workers aren’t enjoying this any more than you are.

Supermarkets that refuse to enforce mask wearing are praised for protecting their staff’s well-being.

Pubs and bars that do the same are fined £10,000.

Realistically, all the while the curfew remains in effect, a significant amount of the hospitality industry is not viable.

Further financial support for affected businesses was announced this week, but what’s being offered is like trying to fix a broken arm with a Disney Princess plaster; the wrong thing entirely and nowhere near enough.

Simply put, the current system provides minimal support to businesses in the higher tiers whilst leaving those in Tier 1 (or “Medium Risk”) to suffer death by a thousand cuts.

If pubs, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, hotels, festivals, etc. are to survive then they need your support. Write to your local MP against the curfew and in support of the hospitality industry (https://www.ntia.co.uk/find-your-mp/) and spend your money in local businesses if you can.

Support the hospitality industry, please. Without your help, it won’t survive.