'It's the perfect storm': Yorkshire chef James Martin warns hospitality faces 'unprecedented' pressures
‘There are so many hurdles’
Yorkshire chef James Martin has warned that hospitality businesses are facing a “perfect storm” of challenges, as they battle "unprecedented” pressures.
The TV star praised the resilience of the industry in Leeds and beyond, despite hurdles, but said that hard-working business owners are feeling the pinch “through no fault of their own”.
This summer, the Yorkshire Evening Post launched Leeds Summer Served, a ten-week campaign celebrating the city’s food and drink scene while highlighting the challenges threatening the businesses that make it what it is.
And with the school holidays now over, businesses are entering a crucial period after the summer months, which is traditionally one of the busiest times of year for food and drink businesses.
We spoke to Martin at DogFest on the Farm at Harewood House this weekend, where he hosted a demonstration and met with fans.
Martin has spent more than 30 years working in the hospitality industry, and says the industry now is facing an unprecedented number of pressures.
“The hospitality industry is going through the perfect storm,” he told the Yorkshire Evening Post.
“Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong.
“It requires a lot of thinking, but the great thing about hospitality businesses is they’re very resilient.”
Kate Nicholls, chairwoman of trade body UK hospitality, previously told us that a third of operators are now running at or below break-even.
And Martin said the sector has been hit by a combination of challenges, with the latest pressures adding to an already difficult environment.
“There are so many hurdles that have been put in front of hospitality at the moment, and even more so now because of holiday tax as well,” he said.
“What more do you want to destroy the UK’s second biggest employer?”
Martin also highlighted the importance of the industry in providing jobs and opportunities for young people, warning that its struggles could have consequences beyond restaurants, pubs, and cafes.
He added: “How many youngsters and teenagers have relied on hospitality throughout their early years and throughout college?
“It’s upsetting, depressing and beyond words.”
The comments come as businesses across Leeds face the challenge of maintaining trade beyond the summer months, with hospitality closures continuing to put pressure on the sector.
Across the country, hospitality closures are running at four a day, and Yorkshire is no exception.
Leeds Summer Served was launched to encourage residents to support the independent businesses that give the city its distinctive food and drink scene.
For Martin, the difficulties facing hospitality today are particularly painful to watch after decades spent working in the industry.
“It’s the business I love, but not the business that I went into 30 years ago,” he said.
“It’s just a shame to see good, hard-working people go under, through no fault of their own.”