Hospitality laundry sector 'dying' without further support

11-Jan-2021 - Last updated on 11-Jan-2021 at 16:16 GMT

Laundry sector: 'When the crisis has passed, if we expect venues to trade themselves out of danger and help drive economic recovery, a robust supply chain is absolutely necessary,' says UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls

The hospitality laundry sector has experienced “hell” after being excluded from sector support, the head of a trade body has said.

The Textile Services Association (TSA) has been pushing the Government for inclusion in support packages for the hospitality and tourism sectors since the first lockdown.

Chief executive of the TSA David Stevens said: “Our industry is dying and we’re getting no support - 24,000 jobs and hundreds of SMEs are under threat. I just don’t understand the government’s indifference.”

The sector would normally be processing 24m pieces of hotel linen a week but currently it is less than 2m, according to the TSA.

Closures ahead

Stevens is calling for support on par with what hospitality and accommodation venues have received, including rates relief, amendments to guidance to local authorities on discretionary grants, deferment of VAT until payback is viable, and increasing access of loans to laundries.

“We’d be delighted if any government minister would come and visit some of our members to see for themselves the straits they are in," he added.

“This is deadly serious. Closures are coming. We have family businesses that have been operating successfully for over a hundred years that are about to go under. They’ve already re-mortgaged their houses, they’ve nowhere else to go.

“Without support, many of our members will disappear, along with tens of thousands of jobs.”

Supply chain needed for recovery

UKHospitality (UKH) has been pushing for more support for businesses supplying hospitality venues.

UKH chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “Venues have been making most of the headlines, but the crisis is touching every part of the sector and that includes the supply chain.

"The Government has acknowledged this and made sure they included these businesses when announcing the latest round of grants. But the support on offer does not go far enough and that goes for supply chain businesses as well. We need more."

"When the crisis has passed, if we expect venues to trade themselves out of danger and help drive economic recovery, a robust supply chain is absolutely necessary," Nicholls added. "Nothing works without one.”