Chefs call for ‘Covid code’ to give consumers confidence

Cooking stars including Nick Nairn, Tom Kitchin and Carina Contini have called for a “Covid code” to be put in place to reassure the public that restaurants have taken specific steps to keep guests safe.

A group of chefs has written to the First Minister calling on her government to give nervous consumers the reassurance they need to start venturing out again once lockdown is eased.

“We would urge you to develop a Covid quality assurance scheme, which is consumer friendly and allows hospitality providers to reassure their customers about the steps that have been taken to protect them from coronavirus,” they said.

In its letter to Nicola Sturgeon, the group – which also included Roy Brett, Tom Lewis and Martin Wishart – called for a specific extension of the furlough scheme for the hospitality industry beyond the end October to help businesses get back on their feet.

They have also asked for help with rent, business rates, funding and tax.

As well as the chefs, the letter was signed by hoteliers including Prestonfield House’s James Thomson, The Wee Hotel Company’s Gordon Campbell Gray and Dale Dewesbury, general manager at Restaurant Andrew Fairlie in The Gleneagles Hotel.