Restaurant group Brasserie Bar Co, the 36-strong group behind Brasserie Blanc and the White Brasserie Company, is to pay for its 591 non-British EU employees to apply for ‘settled-status’ in the UK after Brexit.
Under the EU Settlement Scheme, all EU citizens living in the UK will need to apply for the right to remain in the UK after Brexit. The application fee is £65 and will give workers who have lived in the UK for five years or more ‘settled status’.
Raymond Blanc, founder & director of Brasserie Bar Co, says:
“Being a Frenchman and a UK resident for the past 35 years, this issue is very close to my heart. With the continued uncertainty over the nightmare that is Brexit, the hospitality industry is facing a staffing crisis. Pre-Brexit, there was a shortage of young people entering the industry. Britain’s decision to leave the EU has resulted in a huge decline in the number of people applying for hospitality jobs.”
“Our 1,200-strong team is integral to the success of our business and by granting them settled status, we will be protecting ‘our family’ and providing them with much needed security. We are sending out a clear message that they are welcome and wanted.”
H&C News Comment:
We would like to say bien joué to Raymond Blanc and Brasserie Bar Co on their care for their employee team, this also makes very good business sense to us.
It’s a good job that when Raymond Blanc travelled to the UK from France to set up his home and business here, the current migration white paper being put through parliament wasn’t In place.
If It were, there would not be the two Michelin starred hotel and restaurant, Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, 19 Brasserie Blanc outlets and 17 White Brasserie pubs in the UK. Putting up barriers to severely limit entrepreneurs like Raymond Blanc coming to the UK is a barrier to growth In hospitality and catering.
A similar announcement was made earlier this month by Mark Jones, CEO of Carluccio’s. We saw more than fifteen hundred readers share that announcement page through their social media networks. Glad to report on good news travelling fast.
We expect that the leadership shown by Raymond Blanc and Mark Jones will be followed by many others and look forward to reporting on these, sending out a clear message that EU citizens living and working in hospitality, that they are welcome, and are wanted.
