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Oct 2021
28m 17s

Last orders: Why I quit hospitality

Bbc World Service
About this episode

The hospitality industry is facing a staffing crisis, but why have thousands of chefs and waiters quit, and why now?

Tamasin Ford speaks to three former restaurant and bar workers to find out why the coronavirus pandemic prompted them to leave, and what they're doing instead.

We find out what, if anything, might tempt them back - higher pay, more sociable hours, or better work culture, maybe kinder customers? And we ask whether Covid-19 might really be the moment for industry reform.

If you would like to get in touch with the show please email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk.

Producer: Simon Tulett

Contributors: Adam Reiner, New York; Melissa Sosa, Miami; Renée Harper, Phoenix.

(Picture: Upset waitress leaning on a bar. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)

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