Hospitality workers across Tayside and Fife who have been made redundant during the pandemic are being encouraged to get back into the industry.
CAM Ventures, run by Will Macpherson and Campbell Archibald, is offering funding to local hospitality businesses.
Mr Macpherson left his job as general manager of a Marriott hotel in Edinburgh to become managing director at CAM Ventures last month.
He has more than a decade’s experience running hotels and is offering his experience in the industry to start-up businesses across Tayside.
He said: “We are looking to invest in people who have found themselves in a difficult position through Covid.
“It’s about giving people a leg up.”
‘We want to hear from people’
There will be about £150,000 funding available in the first year.
Mr Macpherson, who is from Perth, added: “It might be someone who wants to start their own burger van or a cafe where they might need £20-30,000.
“It also might be a bigger project that needs £90-100,000.
“We’re not sat on a multi-million-pound fund.
“It’s about starting up small businesses and hopefully they turn in to something bigger.
“We want to hear from people who have got good business ideas.
“If someone has started a business in lockdown and are looking for their first premises, we want to hear from them.
“We’re quite informal, easy-going people.
“It’s not like coming in to pitch to a boardroom – we want to invest in good people who have good ideas and the passion to do it.”
More redundancies to come
The industry has been hit hard by Covid, with lockdown forcing many restaurants and bars to close for long periods.
Many have recently re-opened but others have not survived the pandemic.
There have also been thousands of redundancies in the industry.
Mr Macpherson believes more are set to follow when the government’s furlough scheme ends.
He said: “There’s been a load of redundancies in the last year but I think there’s more to come.
“In the next three or four months, furlough is going to finish, loans will have to be paid back and this gives people an avenue to use their skills.
“Hospitality is not renowned for looking after people and paying them well.
“Independent food and drink is coming back, especially in small towns.
“If you’ve got a great idea, we are trying to give people an opportunity.”
He is also keen to help fill empty shops in Dundee city centre with local people “doing good stuff”.
He continued: “We want to be part of the regeneration of Dundee.
“It would be great if we could fill the vacant shops with local people rather than just High Street brands.”