Pub, restaurant and bar closures dominate the industry headlines, alongside the ever-present news of ever-increasing taxes. It is bleak.
From city centres to rural towns, we are losing more than places where we drink and eat. We are losing talent, variety and community. We watch our friends, peers and neighbours lose their jobs, their livelihoods, their dreams that have taken years of dedication and hard work, erased with no trace. Empty shop fronts to be filled by a soulless conglomerate.
Behind these businesses are humans and one thing that is intrinsic to humans is our capacity for hospitality. Our very industry is shaped around the notion of being hospitable.
Thus, I call on us to show hospitality to each other in these trying times in the hope that more of us can weather the storm. Although wider systematic change is needed, on a smaller scaler – and in our daily interactions – we can lend a hand to our neighbours.
Give generously
The Government appears to have no intention of riding in on a white horse to save us. In fact, they appear to have dismounted the horse and are currently running in the opposite direction.
Short of overhauling our economy, we can make a small difference and my proposed method is through kindness. I know margins are painfully slim but give generously. Generosity doesn’t necessarily mean financial. It can be shown though kindness…
When you have made too many cakes, give some to the butcher round the corner; they may have had a hard weekend and it could go a long way to brighten up their day. When you are fully booked recommend the café up the road to the last-minute walk-in. They might have a particularly large utility bill coming this month and a few extra tables will make all the difference. When the supplier sends too many cauliflowers, give some to the takeaway across the street. They will remember the kindness. Drink in the pub next door, eat at the restaurant up the road, buy the cheese from the farm shop, the steak from the butcher. We all know what a difference these small actions would make to our own businesses.
No need to be ruthless
In the interest of keeping this positive, I will not delve too deeply on what not to do.
The pie is small but there is no need to be ruthless. For example, if you are in a small rural town with a handful of restaurants, noticing that a small plates restaurant down the road is popular does not mean it’s a good idea to rebrand your own site as a small plate restaurant – that would be unlikely to help either site.
Instead of trying to propel ourselves at the expense of others, we should be cheerleading for their success while building upon our own individual strengths, using creativity to adapt to tough times. As when our neighbours succeed, we inevitably all do. There is a ripple effect with these kinds of things. Perhaps I’ve been in Glastonbury for too long but I firmly believe that when we put out good, it comes back two-fold.
I am truly grateful for every one of my neighbours who have helped me move a fridge or recommended a great plumber and helped me mop when a pipe has burst. I remember their kindness and if they ever call me in need of a pint of milk, I will show up with two.
