RHU hotel bosses have spoken out after claims that kitchen staff were made redundant following a decision to stop serving hot food at the venue.
Rosslea Hall Hotel has confirmed that it has 'temporarily paused' the service as part of a series of operational improvements designed to "strengthen the long-term sustainability of the business".
The owner has stressed that they plan to bring back an enhanced hot food offering over the coming weeks.
The Advertiser was first made aware of the move in January after a concerned member of the public contacted us.
They claimed that the hotel had "laid off all its chefs and will no longer be offering cooked food to its guests who book a stay".
They also alleged that outside catering companies would be brought in for functions and events.
These claims were put to the general manager of the hotel, Sunny Verma, on January 15, however, the Advertiser received no response.
Mr Verma was appointed to the role in May last year, bringing in a wealth of experience from his leadership positions at hotels including Mercure Glasgow City Hotel, Edinburgh City Hotel, and Crieff Hydro.
One customer, who wished to remain anonymous, notified the Advertiser about the food decision after their experience.
They received a gift voucher for afternoon tea last year and phoned the village venue on February 7 to arrange a booking.
However, while on the phone they were advised that the kitchen was due to close imminently and the hotel was unable to take bookings for food.
They said: "They were not very helpful as I enquired as to when they would be reopening. I then emailed them the following day to ask about a refund, which they said they would do.
"We took the voucher in on the Monday and they refunded the cost of the voucher to our debit card.
"The representative that we spoke to was very apologetic, they appeared genuinely concerned about the way the business was being operated and advised that members of kitchen staff had lost their jobs due to the decisions being made by the owner.
"This is a sad loss for the community and also staff, as it could potentially mean jobs lost. The food was always delicious and reasonably priced."
The hotel has since issued a statement regarding the decision on hot food, but never addressed the staff redundancies when the Advertiser contacted again on February 17.
A spokesperson said: "We are currently undertaking a series of operational improvements designed to strengthen the long-term sustainability of the business and enhance our overall guest experience.
"As part of this restructuring, our hot food offering has been temporarily paused while we refine and develop a refreshed and more efficient service model.
"We are working towards introducing an enhanced hot food and breakfast offering."
They added that the decision was made to "futureproof the business" during a time of increased costs, but urged that the hotel remains fully open.
The hotel continued: "These steps form part of a broader strategy to ensure the hotel remains sustainable in the face of continued increases in labour costs, business rates and food prices – challenges that are being felt across the hospitality sector.
"Our objective is to futureproof the business so that Rosslea Hall Hotel can continue to operate successfully as a valued local employer and a welcoming destination for visitors to the area.
"The hotel remains fully open and continues to operate as normal, welcoming guests for stays and events and locals to pop in for drinks – and soon for meals. Any staffing adjustments have been minimal and handled with care and consideration.
"We appreciate the continued support of our guests and the local community as we implement these improvements, and we look forward to sharing further updates on our enhanced food offering in the coming weeks."
Share