Local sourcing helps Isle of Man hotels weather storm
Hospitality businesses on the Isle of Man have so far coped well with severe weather, which has hampered ferry crossings from the mainland because so many of them source food locally.
The BBC reported yesterday that the island was undergoing a "consumer crisis" because supermarkets had been unable to restock supplies, which are often transported overnight in containers via the ferries. A further two ferries have been cancelled today because severe gales up to storm force 10 have been forecast.
But Paul Forrest, manager of the Sefton hotel in Douglas, said: "It hasn't really affected us because we source 95% of our produce locally and the majority of our traffic arrives on flights. If it's ongoing, it may prove to be a problem for generic goods like cleaning products."
It was a similar story for the the Mount Murray hotel and country club in Douglas, which also sources its meat, cheese, milk, cream and butter from the island.
"The chef confirmed with the manager in our ops meeting yesterday that we haven't had any problems," Janette Pepper from the hotel said. "We have had some deliveries and I think our suppliers will make sure we get supported because it is such a busy period for us. Fingers crossed and touching large amounts of wood, we should be OK."
By Neil Gerrard
E-mail your comments to Neil Gerrard here.
Catererandhotelkeeper.com jobs
Looking for a new job? Find your next job here with Catererandhotelkeeper.com jobs
