Catering Scotland

An extension to the VAT cut for the UK hospitality sector is good news for the sector, according to Neil Pattison, Director at Caterer.com (pictured above). However, with hundreds of thousands of workers still on furlough and businesses under increased pressure due to new restrictions, the Government needs to do a lot more to protect jobs: ‘Covering 22% of wages when businesses can’t do their usual trade just isn’t enough,’ he said.

‘Despite seeing a small increase after Eat Out to Help Out, hospitality job vacancies are still at a low point and we’re seeing thousands of workers apply to jobs in hospitality and other sectors every day through Caterer.com’s Redeployment Hub. ‘Without immediate support, more businesses may be forced to close and the incredible talent we have in the sector may be forced to seek work elsewhere or face becoming unemployed.

‘With the staycations drawing to a close and Christmas gatherings under threat, we need more creative policy to hold onto hospitality’s workforce.’

www.caterer.com