The festive season may be in jeopardy as the Brexit vote becomes the Christmas ‘Grinch’, with the hospitality industry already feeling the pinch.
New research has revealed more than half (57 per cent) of pub, bar, hotel and restaurant groups are already starting to feel the knock-on effects of the Brexit vote*. As the industry prepares for its busiest time of the year, party-goers across the nation are being asked to be patient while waiting for a top up on their Christmas fizz, with more than a third (35 per cent) of hospitality businesses admitting they will be short staffed over the holiday period as Brexit takes its toll on experienced EU hospitality staff.
Once a key time for seasonal hires, over a quarter (26 per cent) of businesses have been unable to fill Christmas roles due to a lack of available candidates and over one in five (22 per cent) have lost valuable EU staff who have made the decision to leave the UK already following the vote. In addition, higher produce and supplier costs have led 11 per cent of hospitality businesses to reluctantly pass these onto their customers.
Neil Pattison, Director at Caterer.com, said,
Whilst the UK may still be in limbo, the implications of the impending exit from the EU have already started to impact the hospitality industry, with increased supplier costs, experienced staff leaving, and a lack of available local talent to fill seasonal roles. With the hospitality industry equating for 7 per cent of UK jobs we currently rely heavily on staff from EU member states. As more staff make the decision to cut loose from the UK early before new visa restrictions are put in place, the Christmas season will be a time when Britons experience first-hand the growing impact of Brexit on the hospitality industry.
Eleven per cent of hospitality businesses say they fear they may have to charge more for Christmas parties to account for staff and increased supplier costs, and one in six (16 per cent) have had to stop taking Christmas party bookings due to a lack of staff.
*Research undertaken by Caterer.com
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Aphrodite is a creative writer and editor specialising in publishing and communications. She is passionate about undertaking projects in diverse sectors. She has written and edited copy for media as varied as social enterprise, art, fashion and education. She is at her most happy owning a project from its very conception, focusing on the client and project research in the first instance, and working closely with CEOs and Directors throughout the consultation process. Much of her work has focused on rebranding; messaging and tone of voice is one of her expertise, as is a distinctively unique writing style in my most of her creative projects. Her work is always driven by the versatility of language to galvanise image and to change perception, as it is by inspiring and being inspired by the wondrous diversity of people with whom paths she crosses cross!
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Aphrodite is also a professional painter.
