CMOs say Coronavirus threat level can be reduced - meaning 2m rule could be dropped
'It's been absolutely devastating'
The Seafood Pub Company goes into administration after failing to secure CBIL
‘We can’t operate the restaurant with any form of social distancing — even if it was a one-metre’
In the past ten days, we've heard chefs and restaurateurs we once believed were untouchable announce the permanent closure of their venues. It is reasonable to ask ourselves, is anyone safe in this climate?
Michelin-starred chef Chris Galvin, who, together with his brother Jeff Galvin, owns seven restaurants in the Essex region and in London, fears that their decision to close before the government-ordained lockdown has irreversibly damaged their business.
Speaking to EssexLive, Chris Galvin explained that he had feared that he would have to let his entire staff go.
"It's been really hard on us as a company," he said, "because we took the decision to close before we were told to in order to protect our customers and staff.
Despite having endured four recessions and a credit crunch, the chef said that Covid-19 has had the most damaging impact on his businesses - "without a shadow of a doubt".
"Even the recession in 1989 to 1990 was nothing like this, we were still working," he said.
The chef said that before the Coronavirus gripped the UK, he was warned by people in India - which he visited to take part in a judging competition - to take action.
"People were asking us if we'd heard about what's coming. They told us to get a mask on, they were begging us.
"We didn't know what they were talking about, but in March we went into freefall. I sat with my brother and the general managers and we looked at each other and said 'we can't do this'.
"We thought at first we might have to close for two weeks, we didn't imagine three months."
With their entire staff on furlough, not knowing what the next steps are going to be upon reopening - but knowing that social distancing will require fewer people on site at any given time - and how contributions and flexibility will play out for them, the chef expressed concerns with regards to staffing and logistics.
He said: "Safety is paramount.
"There will be a sanitising station when people enter and we will regularly clean the bathrooms," he added.
"We have to think about how we approach tables and how we keep the flow of things. One metre social distancing gives us a fighting chance.
"We're going to be wearing masks and two hats when we work. We have a whole heap of costs coming in and no upside.
He conceded that some staff might still have to be let go, as weekly turnovers could decrease by more than half unless social distancing measures are lifted soon.
He said: "We have 70 members of staff and we're going to fight hard to keep every single person with the support of furlough.
"That has been amazing because otherwise we would be gone. We can't wait to be back."
Finally, he said, and most crucially, will be inspiring customer confidence and encouraging them to eat out again.
"Some people don't have any money coming in and now they have less money in their pockets because of being laid off. Will people have the money to go out?
"I've been looking at surveys and 60 to 70 per cent of people want to know it's safe before they go somewhere."
In these challenging times…
The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall and restrict access – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.
Over the last 12 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 500,000 followers across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.
A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.
Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.
Support Us
CONTRIBUTE
'It's been absolutely devastating'
CMOs say Coronavirus threat level can be reduced - meaning 2m rule could be dropped
The Seafood Pub Company goes into administration after failing to secure CBIL
‘We can’t operate the restaurant with any form of social distancing — even if it was a one-metre’
