Celebrity chef Tom Kerridge has shared a video showing the stark reality of Christmas cancellations, with hundreds of hospitality businesses calling on the Government to offer proper financial support.
The chef owns several restaurants and pubs across the UK, including two-Michelin star pub The Hand and Flowers and the acclaimed Bull & Bear in Manchester city centre’s Stock Exchange Hotel.
Kerridge is arguably one of the most successful restaurateurs in the country – but even he is warning that many places ‘will crumble’ without help.
Tom Kerridge.
Businesses are now calling on Chancellor Rishi Sunak to give them some relief, saying that the ‘cost of protecting the NHS is being put onto businesses’.
The Government hasn’t ordered the closure of pubs and restaurants at this stage, but the rapid spread of the Omicron variant and the introduction of ‘Plan B’ restrictions is having a devastating impact on the industry anyway.
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Kerridge posted a video on Twitter yesterday that showed a list of cancellations received in just one of his restaurants.
The list is pages and pages long and shows 654 guests pulling out of reservations.
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Here we are… This is the list of cancellations taken in one of our restaurants in the past six days… 654 guests I understand why. Public health is THE most important thing. But what will the government do to support the industry? Many places will crumble without help… pic.twitter.com/OyA2xTustJ
He wrote: “Here we are… This is the list of cancellations taken in one of our restaurants in the past six days… 654 guests.
“I understand why. Public health is THE most important thing.
“But what will the government do to support the industry? Many places will crumble without help…
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“And before some gammon faced idiot says “you can afford it fat lad!” ….. yes I probably can, but this isn’t about me or my restaurants. It’s about our industry and peoples livelihoods.”
Gusto
Gusto’s CEO Matt Snell echoed this, posting: “15% of our booked covers cancelled on the day. 7% just didn’t bother to show up and didn’t let us know. This cost us almost 100k in sales.
“For us it hurts, for some it will finish them off! @RishiSunak”
Michelin starred chef Tommy Banks said: “Devastating!! @ChefTomKerridge asks the right question of the government. What are you going to do to support the industry’s affected?”
Celebrity chef Raymond Blanc also replied to Kerridge, writing: “Hello Tom @ChefTomKerridge. I know my dear friend. It is the very same in all our @brasserieblanc. its a carnage. And we all hope that the governement will help the industry best.”
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan tweeted: “Getting London’s economy back on its feet is a top priority but businesses are already being hit very hard again this winter – this time without additional support. The Govt must provide proper financial support to get them through this difficult period.”
Prof Christina Pagel added: “Independent SAGE have been calling for more support for hospitality (& other affected) industries. (correct) Messages to avoid social contact *without* support or legislation puts the cost of protecting NHS onto businesses. Govt should step in – it’s a collective responsibility.”
Publican Adam Brooks has also shared shocking photos of an empty pub just days before Christmas, a time when most venues are packed to the rafters.
I’m sat in my pub atm doing some paperwork, it’s 11 days before Christmas Day…@BorisJohnson@RishiSunak what have you done?..
Council calls on Manchester public to help bring hundreds of empty homes back into use
Emily Sergeant
Residents across Manchester are being called on to help bring hundreds of empty homes across the region back into use.
Since the beginning of this year, a major review has been underway around the city’s draft strategy for bringing empty homes back into use to help meet demand for affordable homes across the city, while also improving communities by tackling empty homes that can blight an area… but now, Manchester City Council needs your help.
Following a major public consultation, the Council is now acting on feedback to accelerate plans to bring as many long-term empty homes back into active use as possible.
Although the number of long-term empty homes in Manchester is near a historic low, with the Council having managed to reduce the number by more than half since 2013, there is still more work to be done.
“Every void property is a missed opportunity to provide a family a place to live, reduce homelessness, and lessen the burden on temporary accommodation,” the Council said in a statement.
The Council is calling on the Manchester public to help bring hundreds of empty homes back into use / Credit: Benjamin Elliott (via Unsplash)
So, how can residents help then? What do you need to do if you spot an empty home on a street nearby?
Well, the easiest way to report an empty home is to report the issue online here, or by emailing [email protected]. And then once that’s done, a team of dedicated empty homes officers will take up the case to find out who owns the property and work with the owner on a plan to bring the home back into use.
The vast number of empty homes are privately owned with complex histories, and there are some cases where an owner may have passed away.
While working collaboratively with housing providers, voluntary organisations and public services are also a key element of detecting potentially empty or ‘problematic’ homes to repurpose them.
Officers can also support, where required, if a communication or language poses a barrier to resolving an empty home issue.
Tailored approaches to different communities – where empty homes impact neighbourhoods in different ways – are also being considered, according to the Council.
“To think, if we could bring all empty homes back into use, then we could provide more homes for those on the housing register and take pressure off the whole housing system,” explained Cllr Gavin White, who is Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development.
“The potential of making empty homes a thing of the past is huge for Manchester families looking for a place to call home – and a significant part of tackling the housing crisis.”
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
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Urgent travel warning issued ahead of one of Manchester’s busiest event weekends of the year
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester is gearing up for what is set to be one of the busiest weekends of the year.
Manchester‘s biggest music festival, Parklife, returns to Heaton Park this weekend (Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June), with tens of thousands of people expected to make the journey to see headliners Calvin Harris, Sammy Virji, Skepta, and Zara Larsson, as well as many other well-known music names… but that’s not all.
Over at the Etihad Stadium, Take That are set to perform a series of shows across the weekend, while the Etihad Campus will also host the Women’s Netball Final at Co-op Live from 3pm on Saturday afternoon.
The city will also welcome Lily Allen and the B52s across three nights at the AO Arena, and the Women’s Cricket World Cup will draw thousands to Emirates Old Trafford on 21 June, when South Africa take on India.
So, as you can see, we’ve got a jam-packed couple of days coming up.
📣 This weekend is expected to be one of the busiest in Manchester, with multiple events taking place across the city.
🚗 Public transport, roads and venues are likely to be extremely busy.
🕛 If you’re travelling anywhere this weekend, please plan ahead and allow extra time… pic.twitter.com/iqtmlSpAOR
In fact, it’s estimated that more than a quarter of a million people are expected to be travelling to the various events over the weekend, and of course, this means the roads and public transport will be significantly busier than usual.
Whether you’re one of the many fans or just making a regular journey, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is advising everyone to ‘plan ahead’, allow extra time for their journey, and avoid the busiest areas and times.
To prepare for the increase in travel, TfGM has confirmed that there will be more trams serving event venues, alongside extended tram operating times, to ensure everyone gets home safely.
For travel to and from Parklife, the specific Parklife travel ticket – which will be available on the Bee Network app – is valid on trams and buses across Greater Manchester, and this includes relevant shuttle buses operating to and from the city centre.
An urgent travel warning has been issued ahead of one of Manchester’s busiest event weekends of the year / Credit: Steve Turvey (Supplied) | TfGM
Throughout the weekend, extra staff and TravelSafe Support Officers will be out and about across the transport network to help passengers, and TfGM will be working closely with police and other partners to manage roads and the transport network around the clock.
“We’re expecting it to be very busy across the network, with more than a quarter of a million fans travelling to various sports and music events,” commented Danny Vaughn, who is the Chief Network Officer at TfGM.
“We will have as many staff as possible on the network, running as many services as we can to ensure that the Bee Network is here to help you get where you need to go.
“So, for everyone looking to get out and about, please plan ahead, check the Bee Network app for updates and have a safe journey.”
A dedicated travel page for this weekend’s event has been set up, so you can find out everything you need to know and get live updates on the Bee Network website here.
Daisy Jackson -
15th December 2021 
