Time to banish the blues

Britain’s pubs, cafes and restaurants are gearing up for a wave of consumer support as they plan to get wrapped-up and ready for outside eating and socialising with friends and family. The Hospitality industry reopens on Monday 12 April, following the “rule of six” for outdoor drinking and dining, and customers are reporting a strong demand for both advanced bookings and continued take-away services.

Brakes, the UK’s biggest foodservice wholesaler, has already seen a surge in orders in the past week. With the ongoing success of the UK’s vaccine programme, backed up by widescale testing availability, consumer interest in a return to normal life is accelerating. The hospitality industry has adopted a range of COVID-secure measures to ensure consumers feel safe and can enjoy eating out with confidence.

A limiting factor for a successful April trading period was low demand in inner-city venues, and a lack of outdoor dining space. However, non-essential retail also opens up on 12 April, and Brakes is expecting a busy shopping period in towns and cities, with many customers reporting that local councils have played their part in quickly approving plans for additional outdoor dining spaces, such as roof terraces and extended seating areas. Now consumers will have more options to be able to meet friends, shop and socialise outside, before the reopening of indoor hospitality on track for 17 May.

Hugo Mahoney, Brakes CEO, said: “In addition to the sense of relief that the end may finally be in sight, there is a sense of optimism among our customers and the volumes we’re delivering suggest that the hospitality industry is ready to serve a wave of demand for eating out. With some kind weather, April and the May bank holiday weekends could be very busy indeed. A welcome boost for an industry that has endured so much over the past year.”

Hospitality customers can benefit from Brakes package of measures to get them back on their feet, which include:

  • Expert support on areas including menus, to make the most of Brakes’ award-winning food range; advice to drive footfall and make the most of every food occasion, including outdoor dining; and re-opening checklists
  • More than 3,500 price reductions, with many prices held for six months to provide stability and peace of mind for customers
  • Following earlier announcements, customers are no longer required to meet Minimum Order Value
  • Stringent hygiene & social distancing measures in place among Brakes staff, ensuring the wellbeing of employees and guests at customer sites. This includes contactless payments and contact-free deliveriesCustomers will be able to identify the products that will bring them the maximum benefit through a new microsite, brakescashback.co.uk, built using leading-edge technology.