A growing number of chefs and restaurateurs across the capital are offering discounts and complimentary meals for people working in hospitality, to encourage their peers to experience more of the industry they dedicate their working lives to.
The Clove Club in Shoreditch has launched Young Bloods, a new initiative aimed at younger hospitality workers. Each month, a table of up to four front-of-house or back-of-house staff aged under 23 will be selected via an online application to dine at the two Michelin-starred restaurant for free.
“Hospitality is about looking after people,” chef-patron Isaac McHale tells Broadsheet. “When I first opened The Clove Club, we’d regularly see groups of young chefs coming in to eat together. That’s become much less common as eating out has become more expensive. So Young Bloods is our way of giving something back, opening our doors, looking after the next generation of hospitality, and hopefully inspiring a culture of generosity they’ll one day pass on themselves.” The offer includes the full tasting menu and drinks pairing, worth up to £400 per person.
At Dorian in Notting Hill, hospitality workers can get 50 per cent off food at Monday and Wednesday lunches. Likewise, Elystan Street, Phil Howard and Rebecca Mascarenhas’s Michelin-starred Chelsea restaurant, is also offering 50 per cent off food every Monday.
Meanwhile, Belgravia Med restaurant Wildflowers is taking 30 per cent off food at lunchtime on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. To redeem it, guests need to add their current place of work and the code “Hospitality 30” to their booking note.
At Camille in Borough Market, industry staff can book in for the monthly Hospo Lunch on the first Tuesday of each month, with 50 per cent off food and a free half pint. Guests need to show proof of employment, such as a payslip or work ID.
Don’t Tell Dad, the bakery and restaurant in Queen’s Park, has introduced Mate’s Rates Wednesday, offering 20 per cent off across the bakery and restaurant. The deal covers coffee, pastries, food and drinks, with guests asked to show a payslip.
Heading outside of London? Ynyshir in Ceredigion, Wales has made its industry table – originally launched as a reduced-rate offer for young hospitality workers – free. Each night, the restaurant offers a complimentary menu for two frontline hospitality workers aged 25 and under, provided they also book a room to stay.
