A Dundee businesswoman says Brexit and the cost-of-living crisis are handicapping already-struggling businesses trying to recover from the devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Kelly Fairweather says she has seen staff levels drop from 11 to three at one of her three businesses after European staff packed up and went home - and has a total of 18 vacancies across all of her ventures. She owns The Selkie cafe bar on Dundee's Exchange Street, the Edna Mae Bakeshop down the street and housekeeping business At Your Service.
Speaking to the BBC, Ms Fairweather said: "We now have customers who used us weekly, now we can only see them once a month. We also have a bakery which has been closed for three months because we have no staff. Across the three businesses we have 18 vacancies. It's like being in a boxing ring and constantly taking punches."
The rising costs of goods and services are starting to bite for Kelly as well. She says that monthly energy bills at The Selkie, which seats just 28 people, have risen to £3,000.
She added: "There are no caps, no rules on who provides our energy and in hospitality if you haven't got three years of trading, you can't get a contract, so these guys can put up their prices as they wish. This month I have had eight texts from my provider saying my daily rate is going up and my price per unit is going up."
Kelly was among a number of local business operators who spoke to the national broadcaster about the struggles facing their ventures. Professional chef and restauranteur Dean Banks, from Arbroath, said the proportion of EU staff at his St Andrews restaurant has shrunk from around a third to a tenth.
Dean, a finalist in Masterchef: The Professionals, said: "I've had to come out of the kitchen more and help around the business, everywhere from running the restaurant some nights, running the bar area, kitchen porter work. I have to work harder. I am here a lot more, doing about 100-110 hours a week because I want my business to do well, I want to keep my staff."
The hospitality sector says it is struggling in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, with the cost of living crisis and Brexit complicating the industry's recovery. The Scottish Chambers of Commerce has branded the situation a "perfect storm".
President Stephen Leckie said: "Labour shortages and recruitment difficulties continue to hold back businesses who are struggling to find and or retain the talent that they need."
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