Biggest pub job and company news in 2020
In the final jobs round-up of 2020 The Morning Advertiser (MA) reflected on 18 of the biggest people move, job, training and company updates from the past year.
Check out the list in full here
MPs in favour of hospitality minister motion
MPs have backed a motion to appoint a dedicated minister of hospitality following a 90-minute House of Commons debate on 11 January.
The issue made Parliament’s agenda after more than 200,000 sector supporters – including celebrity chef and pub operator Tom Kerridge, James Martin and Angela Hartnett – signed a petition.
While the motion gained cross-party support in what was described by The Evening Standard as a “lively” debate, highlighting the challenges facing pubs, bars and restaurants, there will be no direct action as a result – though it is hoped that it will increase pressure on the Prime Minister to support the sector.
The #SeatAtTheTable petition argued that the UK hospitality industry is responsible for around 3m jobs and generates £130bn in activity resulting in £38bn in taxation but, unlike the arts or sports, does not have a dedicated minister.
Read more here
Halewood hires new master blender
Halewood Artisanal Spirits has hired Dr Kirstie McCallum as its new master blender.
McCallum will be responsible for evolving and developing Halewood’s core whisky brands including Crabbie whisky from Scotland, Irish whiskies, Gelston’s & The Pogues, Aber Falls Welsh whisky and Peaky Blinder English whisky from the spirit maker’s new distillery in the West Midlands.
McCallum has more than 20 years’ experience in the spirits industry, and joins Halewood from Glen Turner, where she worked as head of whisky creation for the Glen Moray brand.
She was also the senior blender at Distell International, working across the Bunnahabhain, Deanston and Tobermory brands.
“From brands like Crabbie’s, with its rich whisky history dating back to the 1830s, to new expressions from younger brands such as Peaky Blinder and The Pogues, Halewood Artisanal Spirits has a very diverse and exciting whisky portfolio,” McCallum commented. “I’m really looking forward to working alongside the team to develop these brands and using my industry experience to help create the best possible whisky offer”.
On-trade reflects on 'ultimate bombshells' and 'David versus Goliath' clashes in 2020
From a brewer who took on Hugo Boss to an operator who swapped the pub for the pulpit, The MA shared a selection of standout stories to close the book on a tumultuous 12 months for the on-trade.
As part of a series titled ‘How has 2020 changed people and pubs?’ to round off a turbulent 2020, a number of sector stakeholders relived their personal battles and successes from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Blind Tiger Inns’ Chris Tulloch looked back on opening a pub as the UK entered its first nationwide lockdown and being forced to close within a matter of hours – all after pouring a six-figure sum into the new launch.
“At just after 5pm, Prime Minister Boris Johnson dropped the ultimate bombshell – all pubs would be closing from midnight on 23 March,” he said.
“This meant that after months of planning and more than £100,0000 spent on transforming the venue, the Aigburth Arms would only be able to trade for six hours.”
Read more here
Robinsons reveals tenant feedback from 2020
A survey of 230 tenants by Stockport-based Robinsons Brewery saw the beermaker receive a 92% satisfaction rating for tenanted support over the last 12 months across their estate in North Wales and the North West of England.
Robinsons’ scrapping of rent during the first lockdown and phased reintroduction of payments was highly scored by 95% of licensees, who also expressed gratitude for the suspension of direct debits and loan and interest charge payments.
When asked about the most important areas in running their businesses during 2020, licensees cited the brewer and operator’s coronavirus advice support, giving the brewery a 95% vote of confidence for what they had received in 2020.
“As we seek to emerge from this pandemic positively, we felt it was important to get feedback on our 2020 efforts,” David Bremner, director of marketing at Robinsons, commented.
“We received some great feedback through the year from our extended family of licensees, so it has been great to put a number to this as we seek to work with our pubs in 2021 and attract the best licensees out there in the future.
“While there is still much work to be done to support our pubs through the emergence phase, we now have certainty that our relationships have never been stronger, and this gives us a great starting point.”
One-in-four operators yet to receive grants from second lockdown
A MA survey has revealed that a quarter of pub operators (24%) who applied for grants during November’s lockdown are still awaiting funds – with many citing outstanding payments of more than £10,000.
According to data gathered by The MA between 7 and 12 January 2020, 89% of pub operators applied for Government grants during the first Covid-19 lockdown – with one in ten eschewing Government funding.
However, while 93% of applicants had received payments in full at the time of writing, 7% still have payments intended to help their business endure last year’s spring and early summer lockdown outstanding.
While the vast majority of respondents stated that they’d received their grant funding in full, a number stated that they were awaiting payment of more than £10,000 from the first lockdown – with a small number citing figures in excess of £20,000.
Additionally, while a similar number of publicans applied for Government support during England’s second national lockdown in November – with 91% pursuing grants – almost one in four (24%) applicants have yet to receive full payment.
Read more here
Report highlights hospitality sector’s ethnicity pay gap
A data review conducted by the Resolution Foundation on behalf of Be Inclusive Hospitality – formerly BAME in Hospitality – in December has compared the experiences of hospitality workers from different ethnic backgrounds.
Ethnic minorities in the hospitality sector found that, on average, black, Asian and minority ethnic men are currently paid 65p an hour less than white British men, while black, Asian and minority ethnic women were also underpaid versus with white British women – though the pay gap was found to be considerably smaller.
What’s more, white British hospitality workers were also found to be younger on average – despite earning more – with a with a median age of 28 v a 32 to 45 median age of colleagues from ethnic minorities.
Additionally, the report found that 41% of Indian hospitality workers hold degrees compared to 14% of white British hospitality workers – though one-in-five occupy positions considered to be high paying.
By comparison, 12% of Black hospitality workers were found to work in high paying hospitality positions despite 20% holding degrees.
The report can be downloaded in full here.
