NI hotelier hoping to ‘burn away’ stigma of mental health issues in hospitality sector

Ken Sharp, owner of Boat House Dining and The Salty Dog Hotel & Bistro in Bangor, said: “Sadly I have experienced first hand the horror of team members dying, the consequences of mental health issues in others and I, too, have been diagnosed with anxiety and depression as I struggled to keep the businesses going during Covid.

“I believe it is vitally important as the industry operates in one of the most difficult of trading times I have witnessed and tries to recover from the impact of the pandemic, that our business owners, management teams and employees are all equipped with the tools to open up conversations and burn away the struggle people find themselves in. I would urge anyone who may be reading this and feeling they may need help with their mental health to seek the help they deserve and not suffer in silence.”

He added: “I am committed to working with my peers to burn away the stigma associated with mental health in our industry and ultimately save lives.”

In a recent survey, eight out of 10 hospitality professionals reported at least one mental health issue during their career and almost half of those interviewed also said they do not feel comfortable talking to colleagues about their health concerns.

Set up in May 2019, The Burnt Chef Project was founded by businessman Kris Hall as he was all too aware of the challenges people in hospitality were facing. Prior to the pandemic, he said margins were already slim, staff were working long and anti-social hours and the pressures to perform were all too prevalent.

He found that hospitality professionals had difficulty discussing the state of their mental health or seeking support from their peers and employers.

He said: “I launched The Burnt Chef Project with the sole intention of eradicating mental health stigma within hospitality and it is a privilege to welcome Ken as an Ambassador. Ken shares our values and ethos in saving lives and making our industry a happy place to build a career.”

The Burnt Chef Project provides members with free access to tools and support services for implementing plans to tackle mental health in their hospitality businesses. For futher information visit: www.theburntchefproject.com.