Aberdeen hospitality firms band together to form new group

A new group has been set up by hospitality businesses in Aberdeen after the city was put into a second lockdown.

Bars and restaurants have been shut since August 5 after a cluster of coronavirus cases was associated with venues in the city.

Now Aberdeen Hospitality Together has been formed by businesses in the industry - with the aim of sharing best practice and protecting the industry longer-term.

The group says it will primarily focus on the operational procedures of the industry, in line with government guidelines, and work on customer behaviour "in order to overcome the challenges which threaten the hospitality industry".

More than 100 premises have already pledged to create a 10-step assurance scheme that venues will follow in an attempt to instil customer confidence and create safer environments.

Stuart McPhee, director of Siberia Bar & Hotel and one of the committee members, said: "The hospitality industry in the city directly employs around 14,000 people and that does not involve anyone in the supply chain or contractors beyond.

"Although this group has been formed out of a negative situation, we are determined to use this to create a route forward for the thousands of hospitality settings across the city, enforcing a regime of positive representation.

"The second lockdown has prompted premises in the city to take action and create a positive unified voice that we feel was missing. Our first priority is the safety aspect in relation to Covid-19 guidelines so we can ensure all venues in the city are compliant and secondly, working on rebuilding customer confidence.

"This has led to the creation of our new assurance scheme that all venues will adhere to, but we also have plans in motion for a new customer behaviour system unique to Aberdeen and a city-wide app which will help to strengthen safety procedures.

"These steps will help to ensure that operators are ready to open - but we need this to happen as soon as possible to ensure the sector survives."

Councillor Marie Boulton, who is convener of the city's licensing board, said: "I am really encouraged at the swift action taken by the hospitality sector in Aberdeen in coming together with one voice and one mission, which is to restores Aberdeen’s reputation as a safe, welcoming city.

"The trade have come together following a summit which we held last week after the announcement of a second lockdown by the first minister on August 5.

"The sector has a number of other businesses dependent on it, from food suppliers to taxis drivers to the shops in the city centre.

"We can come out of lockdown stronger and wiser if we do it together, the premises, their patrons and the public sector. Aberdeen can create the template for other cities to follow."