SCOTS TV chef Nick Nairn has lashed out over the shutdown of large parts of the nation's hospitality sector after revealing the coronavirus lockdown had already left his business on “life support”.
The celebrity chef says that he is holding a meeting tomorrow "to look at viability" after it was announced pubs and restaurants across central Scotland are to be closed under new measures aimed at tackling a surge in coronavirus cases.
The new rules will apply to licensed premises across the central belt, including Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The 61-year-old chef opened Nick's on Henderson Street in Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire, to rave reviews before the March lockdown. A fortnight later, his staff were furloughed and he and his wife were left scraping together pop-ups and deliveries.
READ MORE: Scotland lockdown -Nicola Sturgeon closes central belt pubs
The former Ready Steady Cook regular who became the youngest Scottish chef to be awarded a prestigious Michelin star and went on to enjoy a high-flying career of culinary success and TV fame previously warned he will have to make some “pretty tough decisions” if the UK Government does not extend the furlough scheme for the hospitality sector.
In response to Nicola Sturgeon's new hospitality lockdown he said: "Well I didn’t see that coming TOTAL SHUTDOWN with a review in 16 days. Devastating for an industry that’s worked its a*se off to provide a Covid safe environment and keep it’s team employed."
He later on social media: "F..king unreal. It's utterly bonkers."
He questioned whether the £40m support package that was announced by the First Minister, when divided between 15,000 businesses would be enough.
The new rules, which will be in force from 6pm on Friday until October 25, apply to about 3.4 million people.
They cover people living in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire, Forth Valley, Lothian and Ayrshire and Arran health board areas.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the restrictions were "intended to be short, sharp action to arrest a worrying increase in infection".
Last month Mr Nairn warned that the end of the furlough support will lead to a “very tricky time” for his business.
He said: “We’re looking at long-term survival, the end of the furlough, the end of October for us is going to be a very tricky time. If there was a possibility of a sector-specific extension to help us get to Christmas… we are really taking it a month at a time and the aim is survival.
“We just want to be here next year.”
He said in mid September, his business has reopened but trading was at “75% to 80% of where we would normally be”, with about a third of his staff still on furlough.
He went on to say he is planning for Christmas at his restaurant, even though the “rule of six” – which limits meet-ups to a maximum of six people from no more than two households – will be an issue if it is still in place over the festive season.
The chef said: “Christmas traditionally is the strongest month of the year, we have a crazy time, the two weeks leading up to Christmas. I have got to assume we can take advantage of that and start planning for it now.
“We’re going though all of the machinations of getting ready for the Christmas rush, if the rule of six is still in place that is going to be an issue, if there is a spike, if there are more lockdowns, that is going to be an issue.
“But we just have to hope for the best. We plan for the worst and hope for the best. Hopefully Christmas will save us this year.”
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