Bristol festival pop-up gives food workers ‘purpose’ again

100 people who were in hospitality who had faced furlough or were on Universal Credit were employed by the project

A festival pop-up venue has given 100 food industry workers "a sense of purpose" again after they lost work during the pandemic.

Food and music venue Breaking Bread was started to help struggling hospitality workers during the pandemic.

The Bristol Pony and Trap restaurant team said they were "saved" when they were offered paid work at the pop-up.

Pony and Trap restaurant manager Lucy Gallon said: "It gave me the job that I loved back."

Breaking Bread was launched by the Love Saves The Day Festival team in July 2020 and ran for three months when the coronavirus restrictions allowed for food and music venues to re-open, but under strict guidelines.

The venue served food and hosted music performances on the Downs in Bristol.

The venue served food and hosted music performances on the Downs from July to August last year

Miss Gallon said the pandemic has been a "terrifying time" for her and her team, who have been working in the hospitality sector for years.

"It was a big shock to suddenly go from working long hours running around like a nutter with a team in a thriving business to pretty much nothing and going onto furlough, so we had to do something otherwise I don't know what would have happened."

Since leaving her teaching career Miss Gallon has been working in hospitality for six years

A recent impact report revealed 36 Bristol-based businesses and 100 people were able to find work again through the project.

'Massive relief'

Miss Gallon added: "It was a massive relief when we got to work with the Breaking Bread project and gave me a sense of purpose again because I missed working at the restaurant.

"There was a real festivally vibe up there, it just felt freeing and people who came up there were so happy to be out so I'll never forget how they helped us."

The Bianchi Group restaurant owners said the project "made new things feel possible" in the hospitality sector post Covid

Bianchi's Group co-director Ben Harvey said being part of the project was "hard work" but it gave his team "hope" for the future.

"It kept all of our staff in work when we were very anxious and heartbroken, wondering what would happen to our restaurant.

"We've worked hard to make our dreams come with our restaurants so to have something like this gave us motivation."