Sussex restaurants on the effects of the Covid Lockdown

The general influx of tourists over the shortened summer season – alongside the entrepreneurship and adaptability demonstrated by owner-operators – kept the tills ringing, with many also benefiting from a pick up in early week trading generated by the government’s Eat Out To Help Out scheme in August.

To put this into context, this is a stark contrast to both independents and multiples found in larger cities and urban areas across the UK.

Central London has probably taken the hardest hit nationally, with many seemingly invincible restaurants including The Ledbury and Le Caprice closing their doors for good.

In addition, an unending list of multiples including ubiquitous high street staples such as Jamie Oliver, Byron Burger, Carluccio’s and Pizza Express either culled unprofitable sites or entered administration.

Though the eateries and bars of Brighton and the rest of Sussex may have just about pulled through the economic downturn so far, they are without doubt feeling the pain and hugely concerned about the impact of the current second lockdown and the uncertainty that the next six months is likely to bring.

As the longest trading independent operator in Sussex, veteran restaurateur and chef Jeremy Ashpool of Jeremy’s Restaurant at Borde Hill near Haywards Heath thought he had seen it all during his career.

While the restaurant and neighbouring Café Elvira developed a take-out service, which has proved popular with locals, the hit on weddings and private hire dining has taken its toll.

“Obviously we are massively down on last year,” said Jeremy.

“We took this site originally – in part – because of the event potential, so planning for next year is impossible so whatever happens, we will have effectively lost two summer seasons.

“The new lockdown is devastating as we were just getting back on our feet.”

The wider impact in the fall of event bookings remains to be seen across the county, with the hotel sector particularly vulnerable to a collapse in this key market, whether consumer celebration hires or the hugely important corporate events and meetings trade.

In terms of the tourism market and the outward appearances of a busy summer season in Brighton, local ice cream maker Seb Cole of Boho Gelato in Pool Valley has also seen a substantial hit to his popular business.

He said: “Since reopening after the first lockdown our turnover has been down around 35 per cent.

“However, when you look at the numbers including the period we were shut, the loss overall has been closer to 50 per cent.

“A large contributing factor to that has been the socially distanced queueing which has meant we can only serve half the customers we would usually serve in a day.”

Without doubt, some Brighton businesses have taken advantage of the opportunities of lockdown but they are few and far between.

Reconfiguring an entire established business model is a distinct challenge for some operators but an impossibility for most.

During November’s lockdown, Curry Leaf Café in Ship Street has continued to take advantage of both takeaway and home delivery curries in Brighton and Hove, alongside chilled oven-ready meals across the wider region.

The recently opened Shelter Hall Raw concept on the seafront has turned the negative of lockdown into a positive through an extensive offering of Sussex food and drink to buy online.

“Our business was steady throughout the summer,” said Louise Tamadon-Nejad of The Flour Pot in Brighton.

“What we lost from lack of seating in our cafés, we made up for in footfall with staycations, people working from home and tapping into the takeaway market.

“We very quickly set up a whole new branch of the business by going online, driving sales through the website as never before.

“A home delivery service across Brighton, Hove, Worthing and Peacehaven was organised and distribution channels set up.

“We set about securing new revenue streams to cater to the essential market, collaborating with local suppliers such as The Cheese Man, Curing Rebels and Northiam Dairy, to name but a few.

“We also partnered with Deliveroo to huge success, developing a new range of grilled sandwiches as well as serving our classic pastries, breakfast buns and coffee.”

There is resilience in the hospitality industry but operators fear not only for their own businesses but also for colleagues and friends.

Recovery feels a long way off for many.

“Having to shut again will be a major blow to us,” said Seb Cole from Boho Gelato in Brighton.

“Not just because we have to shut our own shops but also because many of our wholesale customers will also be shut, wiping out that part of the business as well.

“Luckily, I have been able to keep up to date with my supplier, wage and rent commitments but the worry now is whether we will be able to hold that position over the next few months with a highly reduced income.”

With few exceptions, the hospitality industry has invested heavily in government prescribed measures to reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission within their premises.

Yet there is concern that with the mixed messaging from Number 10, hospitality is being made the fall guy while schools, universities and many businesses remain open for workers, alongside a notable increase in at-home transmission as the population tires of social distancing restrictions.

“It would be easy to say that lockdowns are simply not necessary in our rural location but I don’t work for NHS,” said Jeremy Ashpool from Jeremy’s Restaurant in Haywards Heath.

“I do question why hospitality should be blanket-targeted after all the effort and expense to make guests safe, when universities in particular are kept open with the potential for students to infect family members on return home for Christmas.

“It’s baffling.”

The lack of ability to plan ahead for more than a few weeks is particularly frustrating, as is the unpredictability of the government’s commitment to the furlough scheme which has meant many independent businesses have been able to keep their skilled, loyal and much valued staff.

“I think a lot of businesses in hospitality are already on their last legs now after the first lockdown,” said Seb.

“Without help from the government or being able to adapt to a well-constructed action plan, we could see a large number of closures and redundancies.”

Brighton’s MPs continue to champion hospitality at a national level.

“Tourism and hospitality are a key economic sector in the city and I do not want to see a single business go bust because of a lack of government support during this pandemic,” said Peter Kyle MP for Hove and Portslade.

“I’m asking the Chancellor that this support is the equivalent to the package put in place in March, and that it protects people’s jobs and pay – including by closing gaps in support for the self-employed.”

READ MORE>> These were voted the best restaurants, pubs and takeaways in Brighton and Hove

Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton Pavilion, has also been championing hospitality and the self-employed in parliament throughout the summer, including at Prime Minister’s Questions last week.

“When the Government requires a business to close for a time because of a public health crisis, it has a duty to provide full support to those who work there – anything less is completely unjust,” she said.

“Hospitality is one of the sectors which has borne the brunt of Covid-related restrictions, and it needs a long-term support package for staff and businesses.

“A piecemeal approach with too many exclusions has put huge strain on people who rightly feel abandoned.”