Almost 40 million people in England will be living under tier 3 restrictions from Saturday, equating to almost two-thirds of the population. It’s a huge blow for the hospitality sector.
Under tier 3 restrictions, pubs and restaurants are allowed to stay open for takeaway only in the run-up to Christmas – one of the most profitable times of the year for the industry in normal times.
Businesses in places like Greater Manchester and Lancashire – which were already subject to local lockdowns before being placed in tier 3 in October – are really struggling.
UKHospitality, which represents members of the hostility sector, has warned the latest extensions of tier 3 will bring “further despair to already hard-pressed businesses” elsewhere. “Businesses will have bought stock which will now go to waste and more people will lose work at a stressful time,” chief executive Kate Nicholls said in a statement.
“What was already looking like a bleak Christmas is now looking like a total write-off.”
Nicholls has called for further government support to ensure that pubs and restaurants will be able to reopen their doors in the new year.
But if you’re concerned about your favourite venues closing down, here are a few ways you can offer support:
1. Order a takeaway
Ordering a takeaway will help keep businesses afloat this December and beyond.
Be sure to check out the website or Facebook page of your favourite local restaurant or pub, even if they don’t usually offer takeaways. Many have quickly adapted their businesses to provide online click and collect or telephone ordering services.
2. Buy a beer for the future
Budweiser Brewing Group has launched Save Pub Life to provide an easy way to support your local. The initiative allows you to buy a gift card now and spend at your favourite pub once it re-opens for business as usual. Budweiser will then match the value of the gift card up to a combined total of £1m.
Hundreds of pubs have already registered to be part of the scheme and you can search the website by county to see if your local is taking part.
3. Order a home meal kit
DIY meal kits allow you to easily recreate restaurant-quality food at home. Some involve numbered step-by-step instructions using pre-measured ingredients, others simply require you to put elements together on a plate. Either way, you’ll be giving restaurants a boost.
We tried a number of the kits available for nationwide delivery, from Michelin-starred feasts to award-winning pasta. Read our reviews to choose something tasty.
4. Purchase a restaurant cook book
A number of restaurants – from Dishoom and Hawksmoor to Mildreds and Wagamama – sell cookbooks revealing (some) of the tricks of the trade.
Admittedly, most cook books are for big, city-based chains, rather than small, local businesses. But those chains still employ thousands of people across the country. They’re worth supporting.
5. Buy a restaurant gift voucher
Need a last-minute Christmas present? A restaurant gift voucher is a great option and can be easily popped into a card and sent to a loved one if you’ve now cancelled seeing them in-person over the holidays.
The Dining Out Gift Card can be used at over 1,600 venues in the UK, while Gourmet Guide gift vouchers can be used at 5,000 top UK restaurants. Look out for vouchers for small, independent businesses too, which may be advertised on their website or Facebook page.
6. Leave a positive review
If you can’t support your favourite business financially at the moment, you can still leave them a positive review online.
The free advertising will help them to gain more customers in the new year and offers a nice morale boost to staff. Let them know you’re looking forward to returning to the restaurant when you can.