COVID: Tom Kerridge warns 'restaurants will crumble' after hundreds cancel bookings due to new coronavirus restrictions

[ad_1]

Michelin starred chef Tom Kerridge has warned “places will crumble without help” due to new COVID restrictions, echoing concerns raised by music venues who say they are on the brink of collapse.

He posted a video on Instagram showing pages and pages of cancelled bookings at one of his restaurants in the past six days – totalling 654 guests.

“I completely understand why and have no problem with them letting us know,” he said.

“Public health is THE most important thing. The problem is what will the government do to support the hospitality industry? Many places are going to crumble without help….

“And before some gammon-faced idiot says ‘you can afford it fat lad!’ … yes I probably can, but this isn’t about me or my restaurants. It’s about our industry and people’s livelihoods.”

Grassroots music venues ‘in crisis mode’

The restaurant sector is not the only one expressing concerns about newly implemented Plan B measures – which include making face masks mandatory in most indoor venues and COVID-19 passes for nightclubs and some performance spaces.

Grassroots music venues experienced a 23% drop in audiences in the week since the restrictions were announced, leading to a huge loss of income that could force some to close permanently.

More than half – 61% – of those surveyed had to cancel at least one event in the week to 13 December largely due to private hire bookings being withdrawn (31.3%), performers and tour staff testing positive for COVID-19 (35.6%), and low sales (23.6%).

Losses across the sector hit nearly £2m in the past week, with 86% of venues saying they had been negatively affected.