Latest News | 6 October 2020
Sectoral insight shared
“Hospitality is more than just an industry and another business sector; it is part of how we live, our culture, and how we choose to spend our leisure time” said Brendan Moffett of the University of Derby.
The Director of the Centre for Contemporary Hospitality and Tourism at the University, and keynote speaker at the Innovation in Hospitality event with Marketing Derby, spoke passionately about the importance of the hospitality sector to the region.
He said: “The size and scale of the hospitality sector has really come to the fore during this pandemic – it is responsible for 3 million jobs, it is the third largest employer in the UK, and is worth approximately 10% of the economy. Locally, the sector is worth £2.3billion and is responsible for over 30,000 jobs.”
Brendan went on to look at how successful the job retention scheme, business rate grants, VAT reduction and Eat Out to Help Out scheme were, saying: “The Eat Out to Help Out scheme was a massive success with over 100 million meals claimed during the initiative, and crucially it got people back into restaurants and started to rebuild what was very fragile customer confidence at the time.”
Looking to the future, Brendan then shared some of his thoughts on future trends, including how the UK could look to adopt a more European-style eating out culture. He said: “One of the positives that has emerged from lockdown has been the relaxation of the business and planning bill, which has allowed for more pavement licenses and more outdoor seating areas, such as the Derby Market Place.”
Another trend Brendan touched on was the requirement for establishments to be more flexible when it comes to consumer meal times. He said: “With up to 65% of people likely to be working from home more often, businesses need to adapt to customers' needs and think about how they respond to these changes.”
The final three trends Brendan touched on were recognising that technology is 'here to stay', that the consumer is changing and looking for more diverse food options such as full vegan menus and free-from foods, and most importantly that businesses must diversify to stay relevant.
Brendan wrapped up by drawing guests attention to the University of Derby's Advanced Skills Programme, which offers learners free access to short courses which can help them respond to the challenges thrown up by the Covid-19 pandemic.
