UK: UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls has called for government support for companies in the hospitality supply chain.
The UKHospitality Supplier Alliance has produced a template letter outlining the plight of supply chain businesses to the attention of MPs and calling for:
• An immediate review of support available, with changes in structure and format to allow suppliers to benefit alongside venues
• Additional access to funding, potentially through invoice factoring, to ease cash flow as suppliers commit resources to the hospitality restart.
UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “Venues have been grabbing most of the headlines this year and the plight of restaurants, cafes, pubs and bars has been obvious to everyone. The pandemic is touching every single part of our sector, though. Businesses in the supply chain have been hammered just as hard, they have just not made the news as frequently. They are also struggling to access the same level of support as venues. This is support that they need to survive. If the supply chain folds, then there is no chance of recovery for the sector. These businesses are every bit as important. If we expect to see the sector drive the economic recovery of the UK in 2021, then it absolutely has to be supported by a healthy supply chain. Anything else is like building a house on sand.”
