Scotland’s top hospitality suppliers and venues team up to ‘Help out Hospitality’
Hotels and restaurants across Scotland have united to ‘Help out Hospitality’ in a move inspired by the successful ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme rolled out by the UK government during the COVID-19 crisis.
Prompted by the recent increase in energy prices, the documented cost of living crisis and the increasing costs faced by businesses, the effort looks to support hospitality outlets located across Scotland, with a co-ordinated effort to provide customers with a range of dining and stay incentives, which are set to kick off on October 24thand run through November and potentially beyond.
Spearheaded Barry Knight, Director of The Full Range, one of the UK’s leading food and drink procurement firms, the scheme has worked to incorporate every aspect of the supply chain to allow restaurants and hotels located throughout the country to create enticing deals on both meals and overnight stays, at a time which typically sees a reduction in footfall.
Of the effort, Barry has said “By leveraging our unique position in the marketplace, we have been able to negotiate a support package across a wide range of suppliers and manufacturers which allow our partner hotels and restaurants run promotions throughout the month of November, in turn, encouraging diners to eat out and sustain footfall at a particularly vulnerable time for hospitality”
Reception for the initiative has been overwhelmingly positive, with businesses from as far north as Helmsdale to Berwick in the south taking part. Participating businesses include Metropolitan Bar (Glasgow), Ingliston Resort (Bishopton), McKays Hotel (Pitlochry), Links House (Dornoch) and Kinloch Hotel (Isle of Arran).
The scheme has been welcomed by hospitality businesses throughout the length and breadth of the country, Links House at Royal Dornoch’s Managing Director Phil Scott has been an enthusiastic supporter of the idea, stating “We are delighted to be involved with The Full Range’s initiative to Help Out Hospitality. We have many synergies together, through associated business, and it’s a very positive contribution to our sector, combining resources and promoting Scottish businesses collectively.”
Richard Drummond, Director at J & R Group has said: “Help is precisely what the hospitality and tourism industry requires. After the past three years, the closures, the uncertainties, staffing issues, and now spiralling costs.
The Full Range came up with the Help for hospitality initiative, to support our industry, which the scheme sets out to achieve. However, it not only helps our industry, but it also helps everyone, our suppliers, and the end user, it allows us to pass the discount we receive, on to our customers. Hopefully, this will drive additional revenue to our businesses and offer our guests great savings, which is a win-win for all.”
The original ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme was used by UK diners over 100 million times generating over £522 million in support for outlets UK-wide at a time of reduced consumer confidence helping to kick-start the hospitality industry post-lockdown. It is hoped that this iteration of the scheme will help in bolstering business from rising costs as well as maintain footfall during a typically quiet period for the industry.
To find the full list of participating venues, a dedicated Help out Hospitality website and Instagram account have been created, which will be regularly updated.