September review
Hospitality just can’t seem to catch a break. Although covid is an afterthought for most, we are yet to really economically recover from it. The latest bout of problems come in the form of highly inflated energy bills, greatly affecting our industry with some establishments seeing over 300% increases in the cost of gas and electricity. As autumnal leaves fall onto our garden benches, the temperature outside falls with them. Come inside and enjoy some of our great new deals. I promise we will have the heating on- just not too high!
We are not down in the dumps here at the Red Lion just yet, we continue not just to survive, but to thrive- as ever. This month we have started offering daily deals; on Mondays, 2-for-1 burgers; on Wednesdays, 15% off all steaks; on Fridays, fish and fizz for just £10; and Monday-Friday, 15% off selected drinks during happy hour (4pm-5pm). If that isn’t enough, be sure to take your bill with you when you leave for 15% off if you return in 2 weeks! (Conditions: can only be used Monday-Thursday and cannot be used in conjunction with another deal)
It is hard to avoid the problems of the ‘cost of living crisis, an issue affecting us all. Hospitality is an industry solely dependent on consumers, you (the consumer) decide where your money goes. Household energy bill increases continue to wage war against disposable incomes, putting a strain on leisure spending, more and more people are seeing eating/going out as a luxury in these monetarily troubled times. To add to those woes, running costs are spiralling out of control for many establishments, and inflationary lead supply and labour cost increases join the aforementioned energy bill hike. Josh Green of the BBPA said, “these increases in costs are so acute that they just can’t be covered by price rises”, in an interview with Politics Home. Decreases in spending along with costs increasing is a lethal combination, one that could spell devastation for hospitality. “10,000 businesses could shut permanently in the next 18 months”, said Kate Nicholls (CEO of UKHospitality), who also mentions how around 500,000 jobs are at risk. It is clear that Hospitality needs a helping hand, we continue to hope that the government comes up with a plan for this, otherwise, there could be severe consequences.
Why save your local? Pubs are a cultural juggernaut; they are quintessentially British. Along with their cultural values, they are also very economically lucrative, around 5% of our GDP comes from hospitality and 10% of the workforce is employed in it. Could you imagine a future version of the UK where less than half of towns and villages have a pub?
To conclude, it’s not all doom and gloom, we are still here and will be for as long as possible. If you care about The Red Lion, come on down, I guarantee that the service you receive will feel far more essential than you may think!
Written by Michael Thomas
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