Tom Kerridge requires Covid assist for pubs as he gives £10 Christmas recipes with Marcus Rashford

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Tom Kerridge’s Instagram feed is usually filled with images you’d expect from a star chef: delicious-looking dishes and shots of smiling apron chefs. But on Wednesday it looked a little different. A video he posted showed the list of 654 customer cancellations in one of his restaurants in just six days.

The spread of the Omicron variant of Covid is already hitting the catering and hospitality industry hard, pubs and restaurants are reporting a huge wave of Christmas cancellations. And that could put many in the industry again before bankruptcy.

Kerridge, who owns six restaurants in London, Manchester and Buckinghamshire, says large companies like his are likely to weather the storm. However, he fears that many others will be forced to close their stores for good. And he insists that he can’t stand by and watch it happen.

“Public health is the most important thing and of course it’s frustrating, but of course I understand why people are scared and cancel their bookings with us,” he says I. “The problem is, what is the government going to do to help the hospitality industry?

“The gastronomy is brought to its knees again. It will crumble if the government doesn’t step in to offer support. “

Above all, he fears for smaller companies. “You have the little pubs and restaurants that will just fall by the wayside. If a small venue has 30 seats and all of these guests have canceled, they are left with nothing. It’s absolutely heartbreaking. “

It is time, he says, for the government to step on the table. “I can’t stand by and do nothing. We have been in this situation before and never thought it would happen again.

“I have to raise my voice to tell the government we need their help as the industry is losing massive revenue. This should be our busiest time of the year. Restaurants desperately need financial support to avoid breakdowns and job losses when cancellations soar. “

Tom Kerridge says small restaurants “need government and public support more than ever” after Omicron led to large numbers of Christmas cancellations (Photo: Tom Kerridge)

Kerridge is no stranger to campaigning. In collaboration with soccer player Marcus Rashford, he set up Full Time Meals to fight food poverty in children full-time.

The campaign aims to shed light on the country’s child poverty and continues to advocate systematic change and more government support for families in need. It also offers cheap and healthy home cooking recipes.

“As with everything they do, I don’t think the government is forward-looking when it comes to tackling food poverty,” says Kerridge. “You’re just not doing enough. You need to pay more attention to addressing the problem. “

At Christmas, Kerridge and Rashford step up the campaign. This week they launched an initiative offering Christmas dinner recipes for up to six people for just £ 10. There’s a turkey bun with a filling and sheet cake vegetables – and even a Boxing Day potato and carrot hash with fried eggs for the leftovers.

For those using the Healthy Start program, the cost of both meals is less than a tenth. And thanks in part to the couple’s campaign, take-up of these vouchers – issued through the NHS and aimed at low-income families with young children – rose from 47 percent of those eligible in September 2020 to 60 percent a year later is.

“Both Marcus and I remember visiting the local grocery bank on Christmas morning to look for food and leftovers for our families,” says Kerridge.

“That’s why it was so important for us to introduce this new food campaign, provide cooking videos and highlight all the simple ingredients that can be bought so cheaply. Our goal is to show that families – many of whom are at the border after the lockdown – can enjoy a festive meal together. “

And the ultimate recipe for success is Rashford, which Kerridge cannot praise enough.

“I’m so proud to have him as a close friend. He’s an amazing young man who is a role model for so many, ”he says. “Marcus remains grounded despite his fame, I couldn’t think of a better person to work with. He really leaves me with a huge smile on my face. “

Kerridge cannot say the same of the UK government right now. His appeal is to step in and offer financial support to prevent the catering industry from collapsing.

“Before someone points a finger at me and says I’m fine, it has nothing to do with me or my restaurants. It’s about our industry and people’s livelihoods. We need government and public support more than ever. “

Find out more about full-time meals on Tom Kerridge’s website