Lockdown is like a knife through heart of hospitality industry, say bosses at Mumtaz

A leading Yorkshire restaurant chain has described the latest Government lockdown as acting like a knife through the heart of the UK’s hospitality industry.
The Mumtaz restaurant in LeedsThe Mumtaz restaurant in Leeds
The Mumtaz restaurant in Leeds

Bosses at Mumtaz, which has two restaurants in Leeds and Bradford, said business owners will be left in a form of purgatory without confirmation of further Government support.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said it is his “expectation and firm hope” that England will exit the second shutdown on December 2, but ministers are unable to guarantee that.

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In a public letter, Asad Arif, business relations’ manager at Leeds’ Mumtaz restaurant, said: “Lockdown 2.0 cannot be called the ’nail in the coffin’ for our restaurant or the hospitality industry as a whole. It’s more like a knife being plunged deeper into the heart..

“We completely understand the we are not alone in this pandemic,’’ he added. “We also understand the Government is under immense pressure from the whole nation and the hundreds of varying industries, supply chains and consumers.

“However something has to be done which is better than what is proposed. Money has been heavily invested to make our venue Covid safe.”

Mr Arif said further expense had been incurred re-arranging employee times and creating flexible rotas so staff did not lose income due to reduced hours and a reduction in the numbers of people eating out due to the pandemic.

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Mr Arif added: “We are also left in a position of not knowing how and when to re-open. Do we invest in Christmas menus, decoration and entertainment or will the lockdown be extended beyond December 2?

“Will the one month of trade be enough to keep us surviving through to March, given traditionally most hospitality sectors struggle in a normal January to March period? The whole situation takes its toll on any business owner and certainly the employees.

Mr Arif added: “Most of our employees have remained loyal but they have their own expenses and cannot continue to live on furlough pay. Credit cards and personal loans continue to build up and this naturally leads to mental stress, anxiety and takes a toll on the whole family.”

Mr Arif said it was understandable that some employees would have to leave the sector, which results in further difficulties for any restaurant owner.

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He added: “It is not fair, nor correct, to state the industry must innovate and think of moving towards take out and deliveries.

“Mumtaz Leeds, as an example, prides itself on the dining experience it offers. We cannot offer that in a plastic box.”

Including the ready-made meal side of the business, Mumtaz employs around 200 people in Yorkshire.

Responding to the letter, a Treasury spokesperson said: “This is a tremendously difficult time for everyone and we are doing all we can to support the hospitality sector – including extending the furlough scheme until December, raising business grants up to £3,000, providing £1.1 billion to local authorities to support businesses and extended mortgage holidays. Keeping people safe and protecting jobs remain our absolute priorities.”

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Further details of this weekend’s announcements can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/furlough-scheme-extended-and-further-economic-support-announced.

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