Small businesses pay big price for taking a holiday

Small family-run hotels, restaurants and catering firms lose an estimated £80m by closing in August to take a summer holiday, according to a survey of small businesses.

Web company Clearlybusiness.com spoke to the owners and managers of 50 small hospitality businesses in the UK.

More than 35% admitted they had not taken a holiday in more than a year, while 29% said they had to close to take time off.

An example is Annie Schwab, who owns the 42-seat two-Michelin-starred Winteringham Fields, in Winteringham, Lincolnshire, with her husband Germain. She closes her business for one week, which costs her an estimated £20,000 in lost revenue and staff wages.

She said: "We would not relax if we kept it open. We couldn't let someone else run it."

Even those with no full-time staff to pay still lose out.

Jonathan Hogg, owner of the 36-seat bistro Beasdales in Bollington, Cheshire, said: "We close for two weeks and it costs us about £1,200 in profit."

Others said they were forced to close during August because of school holidays.

At the 45-seat Four Seasons restaurant in Nantgaredig, Carmarthenshire, Maryann Wright and her sister Charlotte Pasetti always take the last week off in the month.

Wright said: "It is a busy time but we have to take a holiday when the children are off. It costs us £4,500 to £5,000 in lost revenue."

by Sara Guild