Call me childish, but I still get very excited about going out for a nice meal.
Whether it is with friends or family, I love the thrill of getting dressed up and sitting around a table with my loved ones over a delicious plate of food.
While I enjoy a healthy lifestyle, it’s great to go into a restaurant and order a plate of whatever I like, whether it be a veggie-powered super salad or giant bowl of chocolate pudding.
The last thing I’m thinking about is how many calories I’m eating… but that could soon all change, thanks to a “key proposal” in the Scottish Government’s out-of-home obesity busting plan.
Under the plans set out by ministers, the legislation would force venues to publish calorie information next to food items on menus, take away apps and next to dishes at buffets.
The move gained serious criticism from the likes of eating disorder charity Beat, who dubbed it “frustrating” and “disappointing” when similar legislation was introduced in England in 2022.
But the proposals also throw up a barrage of concerns for Scotland’s hospitality industry, which is still struggling in the face of the cost-of-living crisis after a dismal trading period thanks to years of restrictions during the covid pandemic.
Mark Micotti, brand manager at DRG Restaurant Group – which operates household names including Di Maggio’s and Café Andaluz – summed up the impact the legislation could have on the industry perfectly.
He recently told one reporter that “from an operational perspective, it’s a massive challenge” and I couldn’t agree more.
For larger companies like DRG, it would be a logistical nightmare to redesign and reprint hundreds – if not thousands – of menus for the sake of one tiny piece of additional information.
That’s before they even begin to consider how much money would need to go behind undertaking such a mammoth task, which I’m sure could be better spent on resources elsewhere.
And for smaller, independent operators, additional spending on producing new menus could have a massive knock-on effect, especially at such a crucial time when every penny counts.
What’s more, it seems the Scottish Government hasn’t considered the idea that publishing calorie information far and wide may put people off dining out altogether.
Glasgow-based chef Tanya Gohil, who starred on BBC1’s Million Pound Menu, believes the proposals could result in a “real decline in the number of people choosing to dine out”, which could prove catastrophic during this crucial recovery period for the sector.
It seems to me like the Scottish Government has failed to properly think this one through. I’ve written many times in this column about how ministers appear to be working against Scotland’s hospitality industry rather than supporting it, and this seems to be the latest example.
The way around this seems relatively simple – if the Scottish Government is determined to introduce mandatory calorie labelling on menus, then surely they could request that hospitality venues create digital versions that customers can access at their own leisure?
While there is still some time and spend that comes with creating a web copy of a menu, it would reduce the amount of cash that businesses would have to throw at menu printing.
What’s more, it would also give customers control over when and how they can access that information, which could potentially prove to be less triggering for those with disordered eating.
Ultimately, we need to be doing all we can to support our hospitality industry, and this just feels like another hurdle that operators need to get over.
Thankfully, a recent report by Public Health Scotland found the potential harm of showing calorie counts on food menus could outweigh the benefits, so ministers may be forced to come up with a Plan B.
And when it comes to eating out, I certainly don’t want to be reminded of how many sins are in every fork load of salad or spoonful of pudding I’m enjoying.
It’s a headache that customers – and businesses alike – could be doing without.
Jobs market struggling amid rising wage costs
Only last week I wrote of concerns raised in a report from the University of Stirling and Scottish Grocers’ Federation regarding the potential soaring wage bills could be passed on to consumers. This followed the UK National Living Wage rising to £11.44 per hour.
Now, Royal Bank of Scotland has released its Report on Jobs which has revealed that job vacancies in Scotland have reduced over the course of the past eight months.
Demand for both permanent and temporary workers deteriorated sharply for the eighth successive month, with pay recording the weakest increase in more than three years.
Market uncertainty and companies looking to cost cut were a couple of suggested reasons for the continued drop.
The report also suggests that although we’ve since an increase in the National Living Wage, overall pay has been pretty stagnant.
It certainly looks like not only are we facing a situation where consumers will see a rise in costs for goods and services, but wage bills are causing businesses to think twice about if they really need to hire or not.
This backs up the stats from Scottish Grocers’ Federation I shared last week, stating that 90 percent of its members said wage increases made them less likely to take on staff.
And unfortunately, the outlook doesn’t look set to change any time soon. As uncertainties persist and companies seek to cut expenses, the challenges facing job seekers and employers alike are likely to persist in the coming months.
It Made Me Laugh
Scotland’s 32 best bars revealed
Those who are partial to a pub crawl may like to take note, as the National Pub and Bar Awards has unveiled the best bars and pubs across all Scottish council areas in a prestigious ranking.
The 32 bars and pubs that made up the shortlist across the country were judged on several criteria including design, service, style of offer, marketing and investment.
Entries for industry awards like these can take time to craft but are a savvy move. Receiving an endorsement like this will no doubt see a boost in visitor numbers from those looking for the best bars to frequent.
And who knows, maybe some will even be brave enough to try to tick off all 32.
It Made Me Weep
Teen cancer warriors share stories on new podcast
A new podcast aimed at helping teens through cancer diagnoses has launched. It’s called Radio Therapy and was produced by Glasgow-based Go Radio.
The episodes feature real-life tales from young Scots who have gone through or are still undergoing cancer treatment and covers subjects including mental health, body image and mortality.
The podcast was funded by Every Thank You Counts, a charity set up by Molly Cuddihy following her diagnosis of metastatic Ewing’s sarcoma in 2018, aged just 15. Molly is one of eight women who share their stories.
I can’t imagine how devastating it is to be told you have cancer at such a young age but what an amazing achievement for Molly!
