Is your venue taking part in National Hospitality Day?

Prominent chefs including Angela Hartnett, Tom Kerridge, Gary Usher, Paul Ainsworth and more, have starred in a new video calling on the nation to go out and support their favourite pubs, bars, restaurants, cafés and hotels on Saturday 18 September – the first annual National Hospitality Day.

National Hospitality Day has been created to celebrate everything we love about hospitality, a sector that has taken a battering over the last 18 months, to help struggling businesses get back on their feet, all while raising money for leading charities.

Despite the end of Covid restrictions, the video warns that hospitality venues aren’t out of the woods yet, with the stark prospect of even more closures in the sector with issues such as staffing, supply and business rates continuing to have a massive impact on businesses.

Venues are also being encouraged to support National Hospitality Day, with examples including from BrewDog Bars offering free pints; and St Austell Brewery donating £1 from every pint sold across its managed pubs.

Other brands involved include Admiral Taverns, Fuller’s, Punch Pubs and Shepherd Neame.

“All our biggest moments go on in hospitality venues, from first dates to weddings, and baby showers to wakes, they’re where the moments that make life worth living take place," says Kerridge. 

"That morning chat with your friendly barista, a cheeky pint after work with mates, Saturday morning soaks in a hotel pool, or Sunday roast with the family…we all took these experiences for granted.

“National Hospitality Day is a chance for us all to say, 'Welcome back, we’ve missed you, and thanks for everything you’ve been doing,' to our favourite venues.

"Restaurants, pubs and hotels up and down the country will be pulling out the stops to give everybody a great day out.”

UKHospitality

National Hospitality Day has the full support of the government, and is being endorsed by trade association UKHospitality.

“Our venues have been through hell over the last 18 months and the majority are still struggling to get back on their feet, even with restrictions now lifted," says the trade body's chief executive Kate Nicholls. 

"National Hospitality Day will rightly be a great celebration of everything we love about our sector, reminding customers of the intrinsic role hospitality plays in the social fabric of communities – and helping to raise money for our fantastic industry charities.”

National Hospitality Day is being organised by leading charities Hospitality Action, Springboard, The Drink’s Trust and The Licensed Trade Charity. Funds raised from venues will go towards these charities, who all support the hospitality industry and its workers. 

Drinkaware has also published an open letter from its chief executive Elaine Hindal in support of National Hospitality Day. 

A link to the letter on its website.


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