The Welsh Independent Restaurant Collective (WIRC), which represents more than 300 cafés, pubs, and restaurants across Wales, has sent an urgent letter to Welsh government ministers and officials setting out the increasingly fragile financial position of the sector.

Welsh Independent Restaurant Collective

The letter says that unless changes are made to the rules on eating out, and extra funds are found to help the industry meet rent and other costs, thousands more jobs will go, and businesses will disappear.

Simon Wright, owner of Wrights Food Emporium, in Llanarthne, and one of the founding members of the collective, said: “The WIRC recognises the swiftly changing trajectory of the virus, but emphasises that the speed of new controls needs to be matched by the rapid introduction of new financial support if the loss of further jobs, livelihoods. and businesses are to be avoided.”

In a survey carried out after changes to the covid-19 rules in Wales, results showed that 50% of businesses have already shed jobs, and that losses to date across Wales could be as high as 12,000 posts. The survey also showed that a further 8,500 jobs are anticipated to be lost before Christmas, and 36% of business feel their chance of still trading at Easter 2021 are 50-50 at best.

The WIRC is now asking Welsh government to reconsider its version of the rule of six, which allows groups made up exclusively of extended households.

Cardiff restaurateur and pub owner, Cerys Furlong, said:  “The idea of the extended household bubble is both poorly understood by the public and is leading to bookings dominated by tables of two, as customers are unable to meet friends to eat. Coupled with the two metre rule, this means many restaurants are operating on 25% of turnover or less.”

‘Rules and guidance serve little purpose unless they are widely understood’

Seventy-seven per cent of the businesses surveyed by the WIRC viewed Welsh government communication of the existing rules as either having “significant room for improvement” or being “completely ineffective”. The WIRC point out that rules and guidance serve little purpose unless they are widely understood.

The letter notes that most hospitality venues are operating in accordance with all rules and guidance, providing one of the safest environments in which to meet others — a point that has been made by local authorities, police, and some politicians. The WIRC asks that ministers do more to support that case.

The WIRC also argues that the Scottish rule — which lets a changeable combination of two households meet inside homes or in hospitality venues — has similar regard for safety concerns, but will have a much less severe impact on their hospitality sector, and also allows individuals to enjoy more varied and rewarding social interaction.

Meanwhile, in England, Charlie McVeigh, founder of pub chain Draft House, has urged individuals to write to their MP ahead of a vote on the renewal of emergency powers to enforce lockdown measures.

He said: “It must be right parliament has the opportunity to debate each new restriction to ensure the evidence is properly weighed when the possibility of further damage to our economy, physical and mental health, and the prospects for young people remains so real.”