Liverpool chef warns lockdown uncertainty could destroy the industry all together

Boris Johnson's holding a news conference later where he'll outline plans for dealing with Covid-19 over Winter

Author: Paul DowardPublished 14th Sep 2021

Restaurant bosses in Liverpool are warning uncertainty over lockdowns could destroy the industry all together.

Boris Johnson's holding a news conference later where he'll outline plans for dealing with Covid-19 over Winter.

He's expected to say he's against more lockdowns but some government ministers believe they're not off the table completely.

Paul Askew runs the Art School restaurant in town, he says another failed Christmas could kill some businesses off for good :

"It's critical, recovery can only really happen if we're all in work and we're all paying our taxes again. What we need is some certainty and I think if we hear that from them we can get on and plan for Christmas and if we don't we'll continue to look at the big red button of panic"

People start to pay desposits now and it generates cash flow. It's an incredibly important time of year; the menus have been drawn up and the brochures have gone to print and now thi sis on the horizon again. It fills you with that feeling of 'do we have to start unravelling this?'

"If Christmas is jeopardized again then you have the potential of seeing big business failure".

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