Restaurants urged to join collective aimed at saving independent eateries

The new not-for-profit small business community is spearheaded by TV chef Brian Turner and has a mission to save the UK’s independent restaurants.

The sector has been one of the very hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. Industry data shows that there are around 3,000 fewer restaurants in Britain than there were in March last year – which is the equivalent of eight closures every day. Since the start of this year, the trend has accelerated with the independent market suffering 2,000 closures in January and February alone.

Collective patron Brian Turner is encouraging local chefs, restaurant owners, as well as publicans and cafe owners to join the Restaurant Collective, which is backed by the former founders of restaurant booking service Livebookings and a number of high-profile chefs including Michelin-starred chef Andrew Pern and James Tanner of the Tanner Brothers.

A mentoring scheme will connect successful industry figures with local businesses.

Brian Turner said: “The ethos of hospitality has always been to bring people together and provide them with an enjoyable and memorable experience. That’s why I believe Restaurant Collective is a fantastic initiative, bringing together independent operators all over the country to support one another. It’s certainly something that would’ve been of great assistance to me when I started out in the industry.”

Restaurant Collective is open to any local operator from across the West Midlands who runs a food and drink site or a small group of sites, as well as those working for larger chains who are looking to connect with and support like-minded operators.

For more details or to sign up, please visit www.restaurantcollective.org.uk