Omicron: Christmas cancellations hitting independent pub and cafe owners in Kings Heath and the city centre

Independent pub and cafe owners in Birmingham are calling on the government to support hospitality as Christmas parties are cancelled and bookings drop as Covid cases rise with the spread of the Omicron variant.

Cases of the new variant are causing record high infection rates across the UK - with Moor Green and Canon Hill seeing the second highest increase in cases in the whole of the UK at 399.8% last week.

Meanwhile Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged people to “think carefully” about going out during the festive season.

Data released by UK Hospitality from Monday to Sunday of last week showed a 13% drop in trade and a 15% increase in cancellations across the country when compared with pre-pandemic levels.

BirminghamWorld spoke to venues in Kings Heath and the city centre to see how they are managing.

‘The situation is mirroring the start of the pandemic’

Naomi Payton, the events manager of the Kitchen Garden Cafe in York Road, Kings Heath, said they have had some Christmas party cancellations in recent weeks, and seen a reduction in trade compared to how December would usually be for the cafe.

Speaking to BirminghamWorld, she said: “We have had some cancellations - more the larger scale bookings, so some Christmas party events have been cancelled due to concerns over travel and restrictions - we’re definitely seeing an impact at the moment.

“Our midweek trade is definitely a lot lower than what is expected in December at the moment.

“A lot of our trade now is walk-ins, we do get booking for the weekends but we’ve definitely seen a reduction in the amount of people booking in the first place.

“And with table bookings we’ve seen maybe a 10 to 20% reduction.”

Naomi said the cafe is having to deal with similar problems which occurred at the start of the pandemic.

“At the moment the situation is mirroring March 2020,” she said.

“Back then before restrictions were put in place the government said people needed to avoid hospitality or avoid places where it can spread, but they didn’t put any restrictions in place at first, or provide any help so we just had no customers because they had been told to stay away.

“Initially there was no support but as the pandemic got worse and worse the support came ,and if this continues the way it is for any longer then we will need support.”

‘This is usually our busiest time of the year’

For Andy Twigg, the owner of The Sun on The Hill pub in Bennetts Hill, Birmingham city centre, this week (before Christmas) is usually the busiest period of the year.

“We’re probably about 50% down at this point on where we would expect to be this week,” he said.

“We had a couple of cancellations towards the end of the week with the bigger Christmas party bookings, but just the general walk-in trade has certainly dropped off.

“We definitely need some support, whichever format that comes in there needs to be something. I’m not sure how they are going to go about it - but it’s been difficult.”

He added: “I’m really unsure what’s going to happen later on today (Friday, 17 December) and tomorrow.

“They’re the two big days, and it’s already a bit quieter than I would expect at this time of the day, so we will have to wait and see what happens tomorrow which is the big one for us usually.”

“This is usually the busiest week - you rely on that to get you through January, but if all of a sudden you’re only at half capacity this week and half next week, then it’s going to make things a struggle.”

‘No area of business is as hard hit as the hospitality industry’

General manager of Birmingham’s Westside BID, Mike Olley, has called for urgent financial support for the hospitality industry to soften the blow through full business rates relief, grants, rent protection and extended VAT reductions.

He said: “The emerging messages from the government and senior health advisors are having a chilling effect on consumer confidence and this is beginning to hit how many people are going out.

“Fewer customers, cancelled parties, vaccine passports, less day-time trade because of ‘work from home’ advice are all creating a perfect storm that will hit revenues, cost jobs and in some cases close businesses.

“This has created a cliff edge not only for bars, restaurants and nightclubs but also for cinemas and theatres who had only just started to regain customers’ confidence.

“The government and specifically chancellor Rishi Sunak must understand the problem and react to it, as no area of business is as hard hit as the hospitality sector in the current circumstances.

“What we are now saying is that funding support is needed now, pre-Christmas to help alleviate what will be millions of pounds in lost revenues.”

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