Takeaway is no longer an option for hospitality, it’s essential

Added by Love Business East Midlands | 3 November 2020

UPDATED: 3 November 2020

A managing director at a national catering supplier has called on any remaining pubs, bars, and restaurants that haven’t pivoted towards takeaway to do so now as the second national lockdown looms.

Charlie Dean, who is MD at Ilkeston-based Catering24, the UK’s number one catering supplier, believes that takeaway can no longer be considered an option for hospitality establishments, but an essential service.

Many pubs, bars, and restaurants have been forced to pivot their offering during 2020, but the consequences of another national lockdown and the impact it will have on the festive period are likely to prove detrimental to those that do not implement a takeaway service.

It is estimated that a third of turnover within the hospitality industry is generated between Halloween and Christmas.

Research conducted by UKHospitality, the British Institute of Innkeeping, and the BBPA found recently that more than three-quarters of the organisations’ member businesses reported making a loss this year. The bodies said that without greater government support, by February 2021 there would be 750,000 fewer jobs in the sector compared with the year before without greater government support.

However, on top of that support, Charlie Dean believes by pivoting towards offering a premium takeaway offering, which she believes has elevated the sector to a ‘new level’ this year, establishments can give themselves a fighting chance during this upcoming winter.

She said: “Alongside travel and our country’s gyms, no sector has felt the impact of COVID-19 quite like ours but, within that, there have been some real success stories.

“Pubs, bars, and restaurants - right across the UK - have pivoted their models and done what is necessary simply just to keep going, and its biggest saving grace, arguably, has come in the form of takeaway.

“Often associated with fast-food chains and cheap on the go food, many of these previously static businesses have had to become mobile, and takeaway has not just become an option but an essential part of many establishments in a short space of time.

“Beyond that, however, is that by entering that market, our pubs, bars, and restaurants haven’t just done so to make up the numbers, but instead have taken the market to a whole new level in terms of quality.

“Rather than be a temporary fix during this pandemic, I believe this new commitment to a quality takeaway offering will remain in situ,  not only for the foreseeable future but permanently.”

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