National Hospitality Day will be a nationwide celebration of our brilliant and resilient pubs, bars, hotels, restaurants and foodservice outlets, and the suppliers that support them. It will be a showcase of all that’s great about UK hospitality; a collective shout-out for the places we’ve all missed; and a financial shot in the arm for a sector that’s been hit hardest by Covid. And it will provide a chance for the country to say “welcome back, we’ve missed you” by supporting its favourite places.
We’re inviting operators and suppliers to do what you do best: delight your customers and guests by laying on exciting activities, offers and events. How you decide to support is up to you. Activities could be as ambitious as hosting a gala dinner with guest chefs, mixologists and MWs, or arranging a Q&A with a local celebrity. Or they could be as modest as laying on free nibbles and entertainment; or cooking a hog roast in your pub, bar or restaurant.
Whatever you do, the common aim is for participating businesses to showcase the industry at its best: creative, entertaining, nourishing, engaging – at the hub of our communities, and providing jobs and income for the country.
We’ll ask all participating businesses to build a fundraising element into their activities, to support UK hospitality’s four main charities: The Drinks Trust, Hospitality Action, The Licensed Trade Charity and The Springboard Charity. By doing so, you’ll be helping them to support those hit by the pandemic with financial assistance, mental health support and career development.
The pandemic hit the hospitality industry like a hammer blow. Restaurants, pubs, bars, hotels and venues have all grappled with an existential threat to their business, this past year, as have the farmers, brewers, manufacturers and distributors that supply them. Businesses, livelihoods and lives have been lost, and many of our favourite places have sadly closed forever.
Those that are still open are fighting a daily battle for survival. They need support if they are to survive, thrive and continue to provide the experiences that make life worth living.
The pandemic has taught us how much richer our lives are for having hospitality in them. Until last March, we took our favourite destinations for granted. When they closed, we realised how keenly we missed the venues at the hearts of our communities. National Hospitality Day will give the nation a chance to show its appreciation by venturing out and re-engaging with the places they love.
National Hospitality Day marks the first time the sector’s main associations, bodies and charities have joined forces. Participating organisations include UKHospitality, The Institute of Hospitality, the British Beer & Pub Association and the British Institute of Innkeeping.
Ross Carter, Chief Executive of The Drinks Trust, said: “It is widely recognised that the impact of lock-down on the pub, bar and hospitality workforce as a whole , has been profound, with many having lost their jobs due to the closure of businesses. Even though the reopening of industry venues gives us optimistic signals of recovery, the further delay to a complete reopening puts a significantly more of them at risk of permanent closure. We are encouraging pubs, bars and any hospitality venues to support and participate in National Hospitality Day, and celebrate this wonderful industry at the heart of British culture.”
Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, commented: “We’re thrilled to support National Hospitality Day and celebrate all that is great about our sector. We have been through an unprecedented crisis and been uniquely hit by the pandemic, but throughout hospitality has shown its strength, resilience and adaptability. Our businesses play such a vital role in communities across every corner of the UK and are integral to our cultural fabric so it’s only right we acknowledge this fact and celebrate everyone involved in our wonderful sector.”
Mark Lewis, Chief Executive of Hospitality Action, which conceived the concept, said: “on one amazing day, we’re going to spark the mother of all parties – and all to help the businesses that have been thrown to their knees by Covid-19, and the people who work in them.”
By supporting National Hospitality Day, the public can provide a vital injection of trade which could save their favourite places from closure.
Hospitality businesses looking to participate in National Hospitality Day can register their interest at www.nationalhospitalityday.org.uk
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National Hospitality Day
For media enquiries and if you’d like to participate in National Hospitality Day please email Jeremy Gibson, Marketing Director, at info@nationalhospitalityday.org.uk.
Charity Partners
The Drinks Trust
The Drinks Trust is the UK drinks industry organisation. Since 1886, The Drinks Trust has provided care and support to the people who form the drinks industry workforce, both past and present. Today we provide vocational, practical, emotional and financial support to those who are currently working, or have worked, in the UK drinks industry. For media enquiries please email Alessandra Brugola, Marketing Manager, at alessandra@drinkstrust.org.uk To learn more please visit: www.drinkstrust.org.uk
Registered Charity No.1023376
Hospitality Action
Hospitality Action provides financial relief to alleviate poverty for people who work or have worked in UK hospitality. We’re here for the chefs, waiters, housekeepers and managers. We’re here for the concierges, receptionists and kitchen porters. And we’re here for every sommelier, bartender, catering assistant and cook across the UK. We offer counselling, advice and signposting to people facing mental health challenges or dealing with illness, bereavement, debt or addiction. We also run an outreach programme to keep loneliness at bay for hospitality retirees. When the first national lockdown began in March 2020, Hospitality Action helped many thousands of hospitality households in financial crisis. Just as in March, today millions of hospitality workers can’t go to work, and many thousands have lost their jobs for good. Since the outbreak of the pandemic Hospitality Action has worked tirelessly to help as many people as possible by providing emergency grants to keep food on the table, to assisting vulnerable industry retirees access local support, and by providing mental health resources for those who have struggled during the crisis. To learn more visit: www.hospitalityaction.org.uk
Registered Charity No.1101083
The Licensed Trade Charity
The Licensed Trade Charity has provided comprehensive support for licensed drinks trade people for over 200 years. Its help covers a range of problems and includes grants and money advice, expert housing assistance, mental health support including free counselling sessions, assistance with health issues and education and retraining. Plus free 24/7 helpline – 0808 801 0550 – and website www.licensedtradecharity.org.uk
Registered Charity No.230011
The Springboard Charity
Springboard’s mission is to futureproof the talent pipeline for hospitality and tourism. We do this by promoting the industry to the next generation, attracting talent into it, giving young people the skills to launch their career through our employability training programmes and helping people secure their first job.
Registered Charity No. 2502511
Associations & partner organisations.
All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group
British Beer & Pub Association
British Institute of Innkeeping
Craft Guild of Chefs
Federation of Wholesale Suppliers
Foodservice Equipment Association
Institute of Hospitality
PubAid
UKHospitality
Useyourlocal.com
Press release from the Drinks Trust