Greater Manchester night tsar Sacha Lord launches Christmas campaign to ‘save the hospitality sector’

The Greater Manchester night-time economy adviser Sacha Lord has launched a new Christmas campaign to “save the hospitality sector” in the city-region.

Give the Gift of Going Out aims to encourage the public to support the industry by making a present of going to restaurants, bars, hotels, theatres and live gig venues to their loved ones.

An array of different venues across Greater Manchester which provide Christmas gift vouchers or take deposit bookings are supporting the scheme.

Hospitality is going through an extremely tough time with consumer spending being reduced in a cost of living crisis and businesses facing issues including the spiralling cost of everything from food ingredients to energy. Mr Lord had previously warned the sector faced “collapse” without significant financial support from the Government in the autumn statement.

What is the Greater Manchester Christmas campaign for hospitality and who is taking part?

Give the Gift of Going Out was launched on Thursday (24 November) and aims to get people thinking of different gift ideas for their family and friends which will also help to support food, drink and entertainment venues in Greater Manchester.

The campaign , which is being launched with a month to go until Christmas, will draw attention to local venues which provide festive gift vouchers or deposit bookings.

Venues supporting the campaign and offering Christmas vouchers include Cocoa Cabana Chocolatiers, Alex’s Bakery, The Barking Dog in Urmston, Atlas Bar, Three Little Words, Albert’s Schloss, the Calcio! sports bar, 53Two, Riva in Altrincham and Another Hand.

Restaurants include Abeja Tapas Bar in Stockport, A Tavola Gastronomia Siciliana in High Peak, WOOD Manchester, Con Club in Altrincham, Hawksmoor, Menagerie, Cane & Grain in the Northern Quarter and Platzki while hotels supporting the initiative include the King Street Townhouse, Hotel Football in Old Trafford and Motel One.

Junkyard Golf, Base Bar, The Royal Exchange, The Palace Theatre, The Opera House and The Stoller Hall are also taking part.

Mr Lord is hoping to get even more Greater Manchester venues on board in the coming months. A full list of everyone taking part in the scheme can be viewed on the Give the Gift of Going Out website. People can also look out for the campaign posters in the windows of businesses involved.

What has Mr Lord said about the scheme?

Mr Lord said: “Treating loved ones to a night out not only gives them memories to cherish, but will go a long way in supporting local landlords and independent venues across Greater Manchester.

“We all know the difficulties that our favourite restaurants, bars, theatres and hotels are going through, and January is always the bleakest time of the year for the sector. Not only is footfall typically down as people choose to save and stay indoors, but as a result staff often find they aren’t booked for as many shifts as normal.

“By buying a voucher or putting a deposit down now, we can support the sector through the difficult post-Christmas period, and move away from gifting presents that just sit unwanted in the cupboard.

“What better way to help your favourite venue, and the local workforce, than gifting a loved one an evening out this Christmas.”