Rick Stein on Hospitality Challenges and Christmas Memories
The chef Rick Stein spoke with Graeme Green about topics including Masterchef, criticisms of his "Padstein" ventures, and the holiday season.
Childhood Christmas Gift
Among all the Christmas presents Stein received as a child, one stood out clearly. He recalls:
“One year, I was given a push-pedal car. I was still tiny, and we were living in the Cotswolds. You sat in the car and pushed the two pedals, and went round and round the sitting room in it. I loved it.”
Concerns for the Hospitality Industry
Seventy years later, Stein hopes for a more practical gift this Christmas—from political leader Keir Starmer rather than Santa Claus:
“A moratorium on VAT would be good.”
He highlights the severe impact on hospitality jobs:
- 80,000 jobs lost in hospitality this year.
- Challenges are growing in this sector.
Stein explains the strain caused by recent government tax policies:
“I know stuff has to be paid for. What the government is trying to do, I guess, is to increase the tax situation by growth, but doing so by putting National Insurance up just stopped growth. If you’re faced with ever-increasing taxes, you’re going to cut back on labour wherever you can. You’re certainly not going to hire people unless you absolutely need to.”
He expresses frustration at targeting vulnerable parts of the economy:
“I appreciate that the country is not in a good state, but it seems to me a complete ‘home goal’ to target parts of the economy that are not well-equipped to deal with it.”
Summary
Rick Stein reflects on nostalgic childhood memories and critically discusses how current tax policies threaten recovery in hospitality, urging sensible support for the industry.
Would you like the tone to be more formal or conversational?