Saqib Bhatti MP, Member of Parliament for Meriden, participated in a roundtable event discussing the future of the hospitality industry within the Meriden constituency and beyond. The event was sponsored by UKHospitality, with CEO Kate Nicholls acting as chair. The roundtable convened stakeholders from across the hospitality industry to offer their insights into their businesses and what they consider to be their current challenges.
The event covered many different topics, including business rates, hiring skilled workers, balance sheet debt, net zero, decarbonisation, the growth of the hospitality sector and how the government can best support the hospitality industry. The discussion at the event was incredibly productive with Saqib answering questions from attendees and gaining a more thorough insight into the inner workings of the hospitality industry.
Following the roundtable Saqib was able to visit The Barn a local family-run business in the heart of Warwickshire which offers a rural tourism experience to visitors. The site includes a farm shop, bakery, butchery, a la carte restaurant and private dining facilities. During this visit Saqib was able to discuss the future of the business with the owners and how best to support The Barn as it becomes an ever more popular tourist destination.
Commenting on the events, Saqib said:
“Championing the Hospitality sector is a priority of mine, especially within our constituency. Making sure that hospitality business owners receive the support they need is imperative to our economy and to the growth of the sector.”
“I was so pleased to be able to visit The Barn at Berryfields, it is a wonderful local business that attracts a great deal of tourism to the area and is a great example of an independent business thriving in the Meriden constituency.”
UKHospitality CEO Kate Nicholls said:
“It was fantastic to have Saqib co-host this event to hear from hospitality businesses in the Midlands. Roundtables like this are incredibly valuable to share the challenges facing the sector and, importantly, discuss potential solutions.
“I’d like to personally thank Saqib for dedicating his time to hear from local businesses and for consistently championing the UK’s hospitality sector.”
Tom Barber, Director of The Barn at Berryfields, said:
“We thoroughly enjoyed welcoming Saqib to our fourth-generation family business to talk about our fantastic team, award-winning retail, hospitality and events spaces and exciting new projects such as our hotel, opening in 2024.”
“It was a privilege to discuss opportunities and challenges faced by business on a local and national scale and for us to demonstrate how working with local suppliers and supporting our local economy has been a core part of our business’ sustainable growth and development. We greatly appreciate Saqib’s time and The Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce for arranging this valuable visit.”
