Bundaberg’s Raising the Bar initiative to support the recovery of its on-premise partners has been welcomed by the NSW Government and the Australian Hotels Association of New South Wales.
Last week, more than 150 venues across New South Wales received ‘Bear Cares Safety packages’ providing essential supplies of hand sanitiser, dispensers, floor demarcations, thermal scanners and PPE.
The COVID-safety kits, worth $1250 each, are intended to remove an onerous cost burden from venues at a time when they are trying to rebuild from the economic hit of COVID-19 and get back to business.
Diageo Australia and Bundaberg Rum’s $11.5 million Raising the Bar fund is an investment in the recovery of the hospitality industry, which plays a vital role in both the New South Wales and national economies.
NSW Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello (pictured above to the right of Diageo's Managing Director, Angus Mcpherson) said: “The Raising the Bar fund is an important initiative to help Australia’s hospitality venues recover from the economic impacts of the pandemic in a Covid-safe way.”
The move has also been welcomed by the NSW Australian Hotels Association. Deputy chief executive Sean Morrissey said: "2020 has been an incredibly difficult year for our 2000 members, many of which are the beating hearts of their regional and suburban communities.
"Bundaberg Rum's Raising the Bar initiative is providing some welcome relief and a real cost-saving to many NSW hotels, helping them to get back to business and begin the journey of recovery."
Raising the Bar will directly support jobs, recovery, and innovation in the Australian hospitality industry. Pre- COVID-19 Australian pubs, bars and clubs employed more than 500,000 Australians and contributed $17.2 billion in revenue.1
Angus McPherson, Managing Director at Bundaberg Rum’s parent company Diageo Australia said, “Bundaberg Rum is proud to be supporting New South Wales hospitality venues to get back on their feet after such a challenging period. This industry is vitally important to this state’s economy, providing tens of thousands of jobs, as well as a sense of community.
“The Raising the Bar initiative won’t just instill confidence in patrons but will also help ease the ongoing financial burden of purchasing costly safety equipment and supplies such as hand sanitiser and PPE,” said Mr McPherson.
Venues can apply for Raising the Bar support here.
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