Tom Kerridge slammed the “disgraceful, short-sighted” behaviour of 27 people who were no shows at his London restaurant Kerridge’s Bar & Grill on Saturday [11 July], saying that their actions were putting staff jobs at risk.
Taking to Instagram, the chef and restaurateur wrote: “To the 27 people that booked [at Kerridge’s Bar & Grill] and then failed to turn up on a Saturday night… This industry, like many others, is on the verge of collapse. Your behaviour is and downright unhelpful.”
He went on to say that the all of the no shows in restaurants up and down the country were adding to the issues already being faced and that no shows are putting people’s jobs more at risk.
“We put staff levels to the number of covers booked and when you fail to turn up it now costs us, which in turn will force some very uncomfortable and hard decisions about staffing levels.
“You are the worst kind of guest and that is selfish.”
The group behind London restaurants Jolene in Hackney and Westerns Laundry in Highbury also took to social media to voice its anger over “a plague of unusually large numbers of no shows” that it had experienced.
Like Kerridge, the group warned that the number of no shows could be the difference between staying open and saving jobs and closing down permanently.”
As a result, it says it has decided to increase its no show cover charge policy from £10 per head to £50 a head, a sum which it says will cover the totality of the loss of revenue.
“Plans change, we completely get that. But when they do give your restaurant a call and let them know. It only takes a minute,” it wrote.
The comments have supported by many in the restaurant industry. Responding to Kerridge’s post, Clare Smyth, chef-patron of two- Michelin starred Core in Notting Hill, wrote: “Well said Tom. We need to educate people now more than ever. Our industry needs to come in line with others.”