David talks to Edinburgh Young Professionals

The Edinburgh Young Professionals chatted to our Chief Executive David Cochrane for their newsletter this month, talking through some of challenges currently faced by Edinburgh's hospitality scene. Here is the interview.

EYP: Can you give us a brief idea of who HIT Scotland are, what they get up to (in more normal times!), and how you came to be involved?

David: Established some 26 years ago by industry leaders of the time, HIT (or Hospitality Industry Trust Scotland, to use our Sunday name!) supports thousands of people working and studying in the hospitality industry in Scotland to broaden their skills and personal growth by taking advantage of tailored, inspirational and worldwide learning experiences offered through our scholarship and bursary programmes.

Being an industry led charity, we spend most of our time engaging with the hospitality sector and generally organise and host more than twenty events across Scotland each year. These events act as fundraisers for our scholarships and bursary programmes, through which we support disadvantaged groups to get access to and explore the industry.

In matching our scholarship and bursary candidates with employers, we take a highly tailored approach, with the overall goal being to foster a professional development opportunity that would not otherwise have been available and which works for both the individuals and the businesses involved. Individuals can gain new skills, become more confident and increase their likelihood of growing in and remaining in the hospitality industry for longer. Businesses get a good opportunity to increase their corporate social responsibility, improve their reputation as an employer, and, of course, to better serve customers.

 The ongoing coronavirus crisis has widely been recognised as disproportionately affecting the hospitality industry, with the necessary social distancing measures naturally having a huge impact on footfall and customer appetites. How are HIT positioned to support the industry during this time?

Like many charities and businesses, we rely heavily on the events space to drive our day-to-day operations. As the lockdowns started to come in, more and more fixtures in our calendar had to be postponed or cancelled. Further, all of the scholarship placements we had lined up to take effect throughout the summer and later the year were, understandably, put on hold. For example, we had a number of scholars due to start with the Disney institute over in the US which it just wouldn't have been possible (or responsible) to have gone ahead with. Needless to say, it was a difficult time for all involved!

However, the situation forced us to think outside the box a little more than we normally would with our approach to events and I'm happy to say that we have still managed to field a selection of different types of fundraisers over the last few months. One example was a Britain's Got Talent themed virtual karaoke night, where we teamed up with Edward Reid and Eden Mill gin distillery. We are also looking to run a series of resilience seminars online, giving our applicants a chance to continue to engage with leaders in the industry.

As has been widely reported, the hospitality industry throughout the UK is expected to face a series of redundancies over the coming months. While this may be largely unavoidable due to the economic climate, HIT have been engaging with the Scottish Government to explore ways in which we can ensure that those affected can remain engaged with the hospitality industry until better times return. With events of all kinds scheduled for this year (weddings, concerts, networking) likely to spring up again once social distancing is further eased, the industry will have a keen need for good, experienced people who love what they do. Just now, it is a 'watch-this-space'!

 Speaking of government-backed initiatives, what do you think of the UK Government's response and support for the hospitality industry – in particular, the chancellor's intriguing 'Eat Out to Help Out' scheme? Do you see a need for similar action to be taken in the future?

Overall, the Government response, particularly with regards the job retention and the furlough scheme, has been excellent. It kept a lot of people in work than may otherwise have been the case. However, with hospitality being first to close and last to fully open, I do think that there is an argument for flexible furlough. This really has been the perfect storm for hospitality, with social distancing and restricted gatherings belying the very nature of going to 'the pub', which is centred on close and cosy social contact.

For cities like Edinburgh, there is the added price of large conferences and events (like the Fringe and the book festival) all being cancelled and city centre offices being closed, leading to a huge drop in football across the board. The impact of that can't be underestimated, with so many local businesses dependent on Edinburgh's usually vibrant pavements.

 Government responses are one thing, and their effectiveness will no doubt continue to be ripe for debate, but pro-active steps taken by those on the inside of the hospitality sector must be equally important. The hugely successful pop-up food and drink markets around Edinburgh are sure to have been a big hit with our members. Do you see a continued presence of innovations like this in Edinburgh's food and drink scene?

Absolutely. We have been hugely pleased to see not only the effort that has gone into opening up those type of spaces, but also the willingness of locals to give them a chance and see that distanced socialising can work!

Generally though, it is no surprise that we are seeing this kind of thing – the hospitality industry has always been a hugely resilient one, full of naturally creative and entrepreneurial minds who were always going to be suited to a huge challenge like this. At HIT, we are seeing first hand many of our partners getting involved in efforts to help their communities, with chefs helping to feed the homeless and hotels opening their doors to key workers and NHS staff.

In the events space too, we are seeing great adaptability. There are now virtual marketing campaigns (for example for the postponed Tattoo celebrations) capitalising on Scotland's historic and natural reputation as authentic and safe to ensure that, once the pandemic permits it, events will bounce back quickly.

 Finally, what would you say to our EYP members on how they can best support the Edinburgh hospitality industry?

Young professionals living and working in this city play a huge part in its hospitality scene – that much is obvious from years gone by spending a Saturday afternoon George or Bristo Squares.

It is great to see that role is not diminished as young people flock to the socially distanced food and drink markets across the city. The key is to ensure that you keep getting out and about and continue to support your local pubs and restaurants that are straining (and spending!) to offer safe seating both outside and inside.

Follow the rules, follow the venues' guidelines and enjoy yourself!

If you’re interested in joining the Edinburgh Young Professionals, visit their website here