Delicious UK - (09)September 2020

(BAME) community are more vulnerable to

Covid,” she says. “To ask them to travel on public

transport was unfair.”

Asma knew many of her team were the main

breadwinner and was prepared to financially support

her 21 staff before the furlough scheme was

announced. She’s helped those who weren’t eligible,

and also sent groceries. Communication – via

WhatsApp and later in person – has been crucial,

too. “Closing was like a bereavement for everyone,”

explains Asma. “For those who’ve left home once,

as immigrants, the restaurant was their home.”

She was appalled to read that hospitality workers

were sleeping rough, despite some bosses’ personal

wealth. A government loan and subsidised rent have

helped Darjeeling Express survive, but Asma also

wiped out the savings she’d been setting aside for

a once-in-a-lifetime trip. “It breaks my heart to

know what this industry is capable of – throwing

away our own,” she says.

TALENT TO SPARE

Others have been let go under different, but

nevertheless painful, circumstances. Mark* was made

redundant in June. An executive chef, he’d been

steering the company’s food and drink vision for years.

“It’s a bitter pill to swallow considering I was an

integral part of the business and its future – or so

I thought,” he explains. The menu he created is still in

use. Suggestions of a pay cut or move to part time were

dismissed. “I recognise losing me made a dent in their

wage bill, but I helped to make the business what it is

• surely that’s more valuable than other things?” he asks.
  For chef Paul Ainsworth, who owns five
  establishments in Cornwall with wife Emma, including
  fine-dining restaurant No6 and pub The Mariners,
  facing the spectre of redundancies during the week
  before furlough was announced was one of the
  worst experiences of his life.
  “My first fear wasn’t ‘I’m going to lose my
  businesses’ – it was ‘I can’t lose these guys,’” he says.
  “You have to do everything you can to protect your
  team. My restaurants are the success they are because
  of the people who work there.” All 132 who were
  furloughed returned to work in July.
  Paul had the privilege of a good relationship with
  his landlords and bank manager but has taken on
  significant debt. Furlough funds didn’t arrive until
  mid-May, but he ensured staff got their pay as usual
  and invited any who needed extra help to get in touch.
  “When you’re the captain, you do everything right by
  your shipmates and the ship,” he says.

LEADING WITH COMPASSION

Chef and writer Zoe Adjonyoh of Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen

saw a summer of catering work cancelled but didn’t

qualify for government aid. She opened a community

kitchen using crowdfunding, which providedsome

work, and has helped her self-employed team

find other roles as she pivots her business.

She hopes that despite its struggles, the

industry takes the opportunity to re-examine

how its people are paid and looked after.

“Not just hospitality, but agriculture,

supermarkets – everybody who contributes

to food’s journey from farm to plate. The last

few months have shown so many inequities

and inequalities in those systems.”

Asma agrees, pointing to a lack of dece

HR in restaurants. The solution? She’s

setting up a three-month mentorship

programme to equip women in the food

industry to lead with compassion.

“The sad thing is, all these restaurant

will go back to their glory and people

will forget and forgive what they did

to so many; but they destroyed lives,”

she says. “I could not build my empire

on the burning hearts and broken

dreams of others.”

*NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED. ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES

WHERE TO GO FOR HELP&ADVICE

• HOSPITALITY ACTION A charity
  providing advice, grants and
  support for addiction, debt,
  mental health issues and more.
  Employers can adopt its Employee
  Assistance Programme, a
  package of staff support services.
  hospitalityaction.org.uk


• ACAS Advice on employment
  rights and resolving workplace
  issues. acas.org.uk
  
  
  • CITIZENSADVICEFreelegaladvice
    on rightsatwork(aswellas
    benefits,debtandmore).
    citizensadvice.org.uk
  
  
  • TURN2USCharityprovidinghelp
    accessingbenefits,charitable
    grantsandfinancialaid.
    turn2us.org.uk
  
  
  • JOINA UNIONTheycanhelpmake
    sureyou’retreatedfairlyatwork.
    findyourunion.tuc.org.uk
  
  
  
  

COOKINGWITH

COMPASSION,

FROMTOP

ZoeAdjonyoh;

PaulandEmma

Ainsworth;

AsmaKhan

(centre)and

someofher

team

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people.