Hospitality business owner welcomes support but remains anxious about future months

A local hospitality business owner has welcomed the support from Chancellor Rishi Sunak but remains anxious about the months ahead.

Speaking to Roch Valley Radio, Lisa Moore managing director of The Victoria Walshaw & Cosalea said: "We welcome the governments continued support to the hospitality sector and the announcement of the new grant.”

Sunak announced a package of support today for businesses impacted by the Omicron variant of COVID-19

Businesses in the hospitality and leisure sectors in England will be eligible for one-off grants of up to £6,000 per premises, plus more than £100 million discretionary funding will be made available for local authorities to support other businesses. 

Moore added her concerns for the future: “We remain anxious about the months ahead & especially around our employees and would hope that the government would be looking to reintroduce the furlough scheme in order to avoid redundancies" 

Many in the hospitality sector share the same view, as they call for more support from the Governement. 

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham also welcomed the support but said in his press conference earlier, that there is a “real gaping hole."

He added: “For those staff who are being sent home from pubs, bars and restaurants because there isn’t any work, there’s no guarantee that those people will see support passed on.”

Night Time Economy adviser Sacha Lord, said earlier: “It’s not a package. It’s an insult.”

Lord also said that the industry needed to ‘ramp up’ the pressure on those in central government.