Exmoor hospitality firms facing 'recruitment crisis'

Hundreds of hospitality and catering vacancies are unfilled across Exmoor

Tourism leaders in a national park say businesses are facing a recruitment crisis that is affecting their ability to operate this summer.

Visit Exmoor has estimated that there are more than 400 vacancies across its hospitality sector.

It says some businesses have already had to cut back on their services as they have been unable to find staff.

The crisis come as the area prepares to welcome thousands of summer visitors.

Restrictions on foreign travel have meant that many venues had been hoping to capitalise on British holiday makers staying in the UK, but staff shortages are undermining that.

Ellen and Billy Rowlinson have had to cut back on their food offering because of a staffing shortage

Ellen and Billy Rowlinson took over the Cross Lane House hotel near Minehead in November 2019.

They said they were currently without a chef and have been forced to stop taking reservations for their restaurant.

"It's really difficult, there aren't many people looking for jobs" said Mr Rowlinson. "It's not just in the kitchen, it's front of house, it's all sorts."

Mrs Rowlinson said: "Coming out of Covid, we thought we were going to have a really good, really busy summer ahead of us but it's not going to be the summer we had hoped to have."

Landlord Paddy Groves has not had a single applicant for any of the three jobs he has advertised

In Dulverton, Paddy Groves has been advertising three positions at Woods Bar and Restaurant for the past two months, but has had no applicants.

"I don't think there's much hope" he said. "For the first time in 28 years, we're closing two days a week from the end of June."

Butlins holiday park at Minehead is also short of catering staff in its restaurant

Butlins in Minehead, which employs 900 people during the summer, is also finding it hard to recruit staff.

"We might open the restaurant at 60% or 70% because of the team numbers" said the park's General Manager, John Whybrow.

"The team is working long hours to get through that."

Loss of European staff

The region's tourism body, Visit Exmoor said several factors had come together to cause the recruitment issues.

Its chief executive, Emma Thomasson said: "We have a reduction in European workers, which contributes to the crisis that we've got."

"Some people are still on furlough and then we are talking about people seeking lifestyle changes as well,"

Visit Exmoor has joined calls for continuing government support for the tourism sector, including an extension to the VAT reduction scheme.