In a lengthy statement posted on Instagram, Potager, which operates one restaurant in Bawtry, South Yorkshire, and a further site in Brigg, North Lincolnshire, said that November’s Budget signalled that “no meaningful help is coming for hospitality”.
It went on to say that “crushing costs have broken beautiful, family-run businesses built from dreams, while those in power are not listening”.
Originally launched as The Pantry, Potager served a mix of modern French and British cuisine, with much of its produce sourced from The Wootton Hall Estate.
In the statement, the operators pointed to a sharp disconnect between customer demand and commercial viability, arguing that “people are staying at home – and we understand why”, as the cost of eating out continues to rise.
They said a basic family pub meal can now cost around £80, adding that, in reality, it “probably needs to cost more” for businesses to survive.
The group said that while its restaurants remained popular, “popular no longer means profitable”, and warned that many hospitality businesses have been struggling since the pandemic despite appearing outwardly successful.
Behind the scenes, they described mounting pressures on operators, including “health-destroying stress” and constant financial anxiety.
Potager added that the lack of meaningful government support has left much of the sector facing “bleak and uncertain months”, with some closures representing “the end of everything they have built”, warning that for many businesses, help may already be coming too late.