Sylvia Emelda Perera
When I opened Colombo Kitchen, I did so independently, with a belief that there was a place in Britain for authentic Sri Lankan food and the culture and hospitality that comes with it. I started this journey later in life, building the business from the ground up and taking the risks that every independent restaurant owner understands.
Today, Colombo Kitchen has grown to two restaurants, in Worcester Park and Putney, and we employ more than 20 people across the business. That is something I am incredibly proud of. But it has also shown me first-hand just how important hospitality is to Britain’s economy — and how much pressure the sector is currently under.
Restaurants, cafés, pubs, hotels and event venues are not simply businesses. They are employers, training grounds and meeting places. They support suppliers and other local businesses, bring people onto our high streets and create places where communities come together.
For several years, however, running a hospitality business has become increasingly difficult. Energy bills, food costs, wages, business rates and almost every other operating expense have risen. Independent restaurants like ours are working harder than ever, often simply to absorb these increases while trying to keep prices reasonable for customers and protect jobs.
This is why recent steps by the Labour Government to provide greater support to hospitality and reduce the burden of business rates are welcome, however more needs to be done.
The Government has introduced lower business-rates multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties, alongside further support for pubs, clubs and smaller live-music venues. These measures are an important recognition that hospitality needs support and breathing space if businesses are to continue investing and employing people.
From my own experience with Colombo Kitchen, I know that when an independent restaurant succeeds, the benefits extend far beyond the person who owns it.
Our two restaurants support more than 20 jobs. We buy from local suppliers, work with other small businesses, welcome customers into our local high streets and provide opportunities for people to develop careers in hospitality. Like thousands of other independent businesses across Britain, the money generated by our restaurants flows through a much wider local economy.
This is particularly important when we look at Britain’s Asian restaurant and hospitality industry.
For generations, Asian restaurants have played an important role in British life. Sri Lankan, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and many other Asian cuisines have become part of Britain’s food culture. Behind these restaurants are families, entrepreneurs, chefs, front-of-house teams, suppliers and communities who contribute to the British economy every day.
My own story is part of that wider story.
I wanted Colombo Kitchen to introduce more people to authentic Sri Lankan food while creating something independently that my family and I could be proud of. Building a restaurant business has required hard work, long hours, personal investment and determination. There are thousands of other families across Britain with similar stories.
Many Asian hospitality businesses began from very humble beginnings. Their founders took risks, worked extraordinary hours and created businesses that went on to employ generations of people and become established parts of their communities.
But we cannot take that contribution for granted.
Restaurants operate on tight margins. When the cost of ingredients, utilities, wages, business rates and taxation all rise together, even busy and successful restaurants can find themselves under considerable pressure. For independent operators, there is rarely a large organisation behind us to absorb those increases.
The Government’s measures to encourage spending and increase footfall are therefore positive, but they must be part of a continuing conversation with the hospitality sector.
Government needs to continue listening closely to the people actually running restaurants, pubs, cafés and hotels. Restaurant owners understand first-hand the pressures facing the industry and the practical impact that changes to taxation, business rates and employment costs have on our ability to operate, invest and create jobs. Their experience should be an important part of shaping future policy. Most importantly, support must reach independent and family-run businesses as well as the largest operators.
For me, this is not simply an argument about protecting restaurants. It is about recognising what businesses like Colombo Kitchen contribute to Britain.
When we are able to grow, we can employ more people. When costs are manageable, we can invest in our teams and our restaurants. When independent businesses thrive, high streets become stronger and suppliers and other businesses benefit too.
Across our two Colombo Kitchen restaurants, more than 20 people now depend on the business for employment. Multiply that by the thousands of independent hospitality businesses operating across Britain and the importance of this sector becomes very clear.
A healthy hospitality industry means stronger high streets, more employment, thriving communities and greater economic activity.
The direction of recent government support is encouraging, but more needs to be done. Government and industry should continue working together to create an environment where independent hospitality businesses can survive, invest, grow and prosper.
I started Colombo Kitchen independently because I believed in what we could create. Today, I can see that the success of a small hospitality business is never just the success of its owner.
It supports families, employees, suppliers, communities and local economies.
