Wow! What a year 2021 turned out to be! A real rollercoaster ride for everyone in the hospitality industry, but as we begin a new year I have great hope, positivity and ambition for 2022.
I personally found the start of 2021 the hardest of all lockdowns with the disappointment of Christmas and the closure of our sites. The outlook was pretty worrying for the industry. We did everything we could as a business to stay busy and keep up a positive outlook. I did a bit of charity work which I found extremely rewarding, and with the help and support of colleagues and friends we were soon over the worst of it.
Once we got to March there was a real change in energy and direction. Businesses were starting to reopen and the sales pipeline exploded. We did our first face-to-face sales presentation in over a year and this brought its own challenges. I was definitely feeling a bit rusty, not only in presenting but even in the kitchen as it had been quite a while since I’d put on my chef whites, but, as soon as I picked up my knives it all came flooding back and we picked up some really great sales wins which kickstarted everything and put the wheels back in motion.
Some of the real positives of 2021 was seeing the reopening and rapid flourishing of the businesses that closed due to the pandemic. I feel so grateful and thankful to all our supply partners who have really gone above and beyond to keep us well stocked during really testing time. These are relationships that I have treasured for many years and long may they continue.
The biggest and proudest moment for me was when we held our first chefs meeting. It was so great to get everyone in a room to talk food and the future. I feel that we are so lucky to have such a talented and hard-working team at Houston & Hawkes. These people will be the backbone and the driving force of the business as we move into the new year.
