The takeaway industry has today warned that it is facing a shortage of skills and battling rising costs.

Following on from Brexit, takeaway restaurants across the country, which last year employed more than 230,000 employees and contributed to a £4.5billion economic output, will face problems as many foreign workers in the industry may no longer be able to live and work in the UK.

Businesses are being squeezed by rising inflation and business rates, on top of facing rising costs and a skills shortage, the British Takeaway Campaign claims.

This has a knock-on effect on Gloucestershire, as there are 156 takeaway restaurants registered with the online platform Just Eat in the county. It may become harder to get your Friday night Chinese, or pizza or your Saturday poppadums and curry as companies find it harder to employ people.

A report put forward by the campaign has called for the Government to make sure that the immigration system enables businesses to access suitably qualified staff from the EU and address these skills shortages.

"Takeaways up and down the country contribute billions to growth and are behind thousands of jobs," said Ibrahim Dogus, a restaurateur who chairs the campaign.

"But many are being hamstrung by skills shortages, rising food and wage costs, as well as business rates.

"While the Government's move to clarify the status of EU nationals is a welcome step, more needs to be done to ensure takeaways can access the skills they need.

"That's why we are calling for an immigration system that addresses areas of genuine skill shortage, rather than one that focuses on skill level alone."

The whole hospitality industry in Gloucestershire and across the UK is massively dependent on workers from the EU and may face a gap in recruitment if they cannot obtain the staff needed.

What do you think? Email mark@moosemarketingandpr.co.uk 

Picture credit: pixabay

Readers' comments:

Kevin Cranston: This was so entirely predictable that it hardly counts as news, though I suppose reality will still elude the average Quitling!

Simon R Roylance: Can't agree. What real skills do you need to fry chips? More scaremongering!