Gordon Ramsay has said that the Covid-19 pandemic has wiped the slate clean of “crap” restaurants.
In a Radio Times interview, the celebrity chef told former shadow chancellor Ed Balls that while the past two years have been “devastating” for the hospitality sector, the positive aspect was that “the crap’s gone”.
The restaurant and wider hospitality sector was one of the worst affected industries during the pandemic, with hundreds of thousands of people losing jobs and businesses.
According to the trade association UK Hospitality, there were almost 700,000 jobs affected at the peak of the pandemic.
Data from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) showed that in April 2020, over 1.5m employees in the sector were furloughed, representing 25 per cent of all furloughed staff across the UK.
In addition to the closure of many independent businesses, hundreds of restaurant chains saw the permanent closure of branches, including Pizza Express, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Cafe Rouge, Ask, Zizzi, Bella Italia, Carluccio’s, Byron Burger, Chiquitos, and Frankie & Benny’s.
The 55-year-old chef said that the pandemic had taught everyone in the industry to “raise their game”.
He said: “The business was on its arse, but it’s getting better… It’s been devastating the last two years. Landlords don’t say, ‘Take a holiday for two years’. But I think what has been evident for all of us is the crap’s gone.”
When pressed on whether he was referring to specific chains, Ramsay said: “Well, just sh**holes in a prime position and taking advantage because they’re in a great location, and they’ve got the footfall. But now we’ve wiped the slate clean, which is good.”
He added: “Customers have got so much smarter in the last two years. They know a lot more about food than they ever have done and have been making their own sourdough, so it’s taught everyone [in the restaurant industry] to raise their game … It’s wiped the arrogance from the industry.”
In just one week, pubs, bars and restaurants across the UK lost an average of £10,335 during Christmas 2021.
The losses easily eclipsed grants of up to £6,000 offered by chancellor Rishi Sunak to help struggling pubs and restaurants through the winter wave.
Simon Wright, founder of restaurant group TGP, noted: “When a restaurant business closes down it doesn't just reopen again when things pick up. Those premises will be empty for six months at least, if they open again at all.”
