Restaurants are desperate to hire UK workers but can’t find them
The celebrity chef Yotam Ottolenghi blamed a lack of staff when he cut the hours for some of his London-based restaurants last year.
There are many pubs, hotels and restaurants that are struggling to fill their positions.
The Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) latest figures show that the hospitality sector is struggling to fill over 100,000 vacancies. This represents more than 10% of all unfilled positions in the UK.
The lack of staff has hampered even two of London’s top luxury hotels, The Dorchester Hotel and The Savoy. They warn that this is making it difficult for them to serve their wealthy clients.
The UK is experiencing a labour crisis, with growth in productivity at its lowest level since the 18th Century.
This has been exacerbated by the broader crisis of unemployment, with more and more people not in work or looking for it.
When looking at the industry, experts point out a completely different problem – , a lack of young people.
Kate Nicholls is the chief executive officer of UK Hospitality. She says, “We always knew that we would have 200,000 less 18-24-year-olds enter the job market between 2020-2024.”
Charlotte Maulik, the director of The Finch’s Arms, in Oakham, Rutland says she sometimes experiences not receiving any CVs for entry-level positions.
She says, “I don’t think it’s attractive to younger people coming through – the school leavers.”
A decline in European workers has exacerbated the impact of the fewer young people joining the workforce. Many Europeans left the country after Brexit.
According to The Migration Observatory, while net migration has reached record levels in the UK since the referendum result, hospitality jobs are less appealing to new arrivals.
Companies say that Rishi Sunak’s decision to increase the salary requirement to hire overseas skilled workers, from £26.200 to £38.700, has made it harder for them to import staff.
Many pubs, hotels, and restaurants are now wondering how to attract domestic workers.
Many businesses have discovered that British people are not interested in waiting tables or serving drinks.
Brendan Padfield is the owner of The Unruly Pig, a restaurant in Bromeswell in Suffolk.
“We had European diasporas come in after Tony Blair and they were honestly the best thing ever since sliced bread in hospitality because Brits won’t do hospitality.”
Chris Harber is an attorney who works with hospitality companies to recruit foreigners.
Harber says, “I believe it’s systemic snobbery.” “[Hospitality] can be seen as just a temporary job. From an educator’s point of view, it is only seen as the last resort.”
He adds that those who work in this industry do not receive the same recognition as they would in France or Italy.
Harber says that cafe culture is a relatively new phenomenon in British society. The idea of sitting down in a café and chatting with friends for an entire hour is very new in Britain.
Some people say that the industry is struggling to overcome its reputation of low pay and poor work-life harmony.
Harber says, “The problem with hospitality is the fact that it’s always difficult to work unsociable hours.”
“I can be the most skilled chef in the entire world. I could have three Michelin stars. I will still be working long hours and weekends.” The hours are extremely long.”
Padfield continues: “If you are a family man, and you do delivery driving, then you can get home before 8pm as opposed working in hospitality. Some people would say that for obvious reasons, and “I’d prefer to spend time with my kids.”
Restaurants and pubs have also been criticized for being unfriendly workplaces. This was popularised in the 2000s by Gordon Ramsay.
Veryan Palmer is the director of The Headland Hotel, Newquay in Cornwall. He says that raising your voice, or engaging in any aggressive behavior, is now a serious offense in most kitchens. Many senior chefs have realised that it is better for teams to not raise their voices.
Ministers are attempting to address the growing problem of staff shortages.
This year’s increase in the National Living Wage as well as trials of so-called “boot camps” to train unemployed workers.
Nicholls says that these initiatives are new and the challenges post-Covid are still present.
She says, “It took us time, because you closed not only the outlets, but also the catering colleges and the vocational schools, and there were no apprenticeships.” You haven’t invested in the pipeline of people who are being trained.
Some argue that despite the pandemic, Britain’s hospitality industry struggles due to a lack of talent. This is especially true for upmarket venues.
Padfield says that finding a chef who is able to cook to a high standard outside of London can be difficult.
It is unclear whether the problem will be solved by Labour or Conservatives.
Both parties have pledged to boost the economy if they were to form the next government. This will depend on the success of the hospitality industry.
The ministers will need to help pubs and restaurants find the right staff.
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