It’s officially the most wonderful time of the year, but have you ever stopped to think if that’s the case for everyone? It can be an incredibly busy time for those working over Christmas and although many enjoy working the festive period it’s not always plain sailing. Despite having fun, there can often be stressful times and nearly half (46%) say the hardest thing about working over the Christmas period is being away from their families [1].

This Christmas season, Bidfood, one of the UK’s leading foodservice providers, is proud to be partnering with Hospitality Action to bring #CheckPlease – a campaign designed to act as a health barometer for the hospitality industry. Their goal is to encourage both employers and consumers to spot early signs of stress, be kinder and check that those working in hospitality are okay.

From today, Bidfood will be funding Hospitality Action’s free 24/7 helpline for the festive period. Hospitality Action’s team are on hand to provide help and advice to any hospitality workers who are struggling with the mental health stress and financial pressure the festive season can bring. In addition, toolkits have been assembled, tailored with the hospitality industry in mind, to help employers to not only reach out, but invigorate their teams through recognition and reward.

But with 30% of hospitality staff saying they have had to deal with difficult or rude customers daily, [2] during what is meant to be the happiest season of all, Bidfood has also explored ways to help the general public be more aware of the positive and negative impact they can have on staff. Posters, table-talkers and ‘specials’ menus, will also be available through the toolkits, sign-posting consumers on how they can interact with staff in a kind, appreciative and respectful way, alleviating their stress.

Commenting on the campaign, Tim Adams, Sales and Marketing Director at Bidfood said: “We’re thrilled to be working with Hospitality Action to raise awareness and offer support to the industry during the incredibly busy Christmas months.

“It’s been a tough couple of years for the industry and as we approach our first completely normal Christmas since 2019, there is bound to be some nervousness and anxiety amongst workers, so we wanted to launch a campaign to help support those who need it.

“We really hope the public get behind this campaign when they’re out this Christmas and think about the stress those serving them may be under, making sure they don’t forget to ask for the #CheckPlease!”

Hospitality Action’s Chief Executive, Mark Lewis said: “I’m delighted for us to be partnering with Bidfood once again on another meaningful campaign.

“Not only does this campaign reflect the hard work, dedication and importance of our industry over the festive period, but also reminds us of the difficulties and stresses that it brings to those in the sector. 

“Staff sacrifice a lot so that others can enjoy themselves and it’s fantastic that we’re offering support to help them navigate what can be a challenging period.”

To find out more about #CheckPlease including a campaign video, advice and support pages and to download your very own digital toolkit, please visit: www.bidfood.co.uk/checkplease.

[1] Christmas hospitality, 3Gem Research & Insights, October, 2022

[2] Christmas hospitality, 3Gem Research & Insights, October, 2022