West Cork business hard at work to minimise the impact of restrictions

Jamie Budd describes the Covid challenge, how State supports have helped, and his hopes for the return of normality

'I think the new guidelines had to happen for the country to start operating a little bit better,' says Ballydehob restaurateur, Jamie Budd. File picture: Emma Jervis

Jamie Budd’s Manchester accent may seem out of place in Ballydehob, but the small village in West Cork is now where he calls home.

It all started when he met his Corkonian wife, Emma, while in Spain. They decided to move back to her homeplace to raise a family. Some years later, a business opportunity arose, and the Budds have since become a central part of the Ballydehob community.

Annie Barry sold her much-loved restaurant to the Budds shortly after her husband Dano died. Since 2016 Budd's Restaurant has become a popular spot for locals and visitors.

“A lot of rural villages in Ireland were very much on the decaying side after the recession — so, when we came into the place, everybody thought we were absolutely mad,” said Mr Budd.

“Businesses were closing rather than opening. But it [Ballydehob] still had an amazing amount of magic and a real multicultural society,” he said, on why he decided to become a restaurateur in West Cork.

However, like many hospitality businesses, Budd's has been hit by the impact of the pandemic. Mr Budd has welcomed the latest easing of restrictions, though, which will allow asymptomatic vaccinated close contacts to go to work instead of having to isolate.

Even though we weren’t in a full lockdown, so many businesses have been really, really struggling, because staff have had to take time out due to Covid and being a close contact. So, I think the new guidelines had to happen for the country to start operating a little bit better.

Mr Budd found himself in this situation after Christmas and had to remain closed for a slightly longer period after the holidays due to some of his staff being close contacts: “We wouldn’t have had to stay closed last week on the 11th if the new guidelines were in place. It gives us a little bit more flexibility in terms of not having to shut the place completely if someone gets Covid here,” he said.

While closed, Mr Budd said some pressure on him as an employer was lifted due to the scheme whereby proof of being a close contact made employees eligible for sick pay. In addition to this, the PUP and EWSS throughout the pandemic proved to be essential for the business.

“I don’t think we would have survived without that,” said Mr Budd.

Hospitality businesses coped with the pandemic in different ways. Mr Budd chose to keep things simple. He didn’t put in see-through separators and screens as many others in the industry have done, as he says they are “obtrusive.”

Instead, the restaurant has enforced social distancing, mask-wearing and sanitisation throughout the pandemic. Even without separators, the pandemic has cost Budd's restaurant thousands of euro. The biggest cost has been to keep all 12 of the restaurant’s staff, all the while reducing customer capacity in line with Covid-19 restrictions.

We have been paying the same number of staff, but we’re doing less than half the amount of numbers. Obviously, with the restrictions, we didn’t do indoor dining and we lost half of our restaurant due to space and distancing.

In addition to government financial supports, Budd’s have had to slightly increase prices. “The majority of people who come in to us don’t really mind so much, but it’s something that’s had to happen all over the field,” said Mr Budd.

The easing of restrictions has meant hospitality businesses like Budd’s can open once more, and Jamie Budd hopes to keep it that way after two tough years.

“It’s the uncertainty that we’ve all been faced with in every line of work, in every business, up and down the country. It has been a tonne of uncertainty not knowing whether you can open and having to close on a whim,” he said.