Those of you who’ve been following us for a while know that we’re not too shy in coming forwards. We’ve always got lots to say, hence the weekly Postcard From Tibet.
These check-ins cover a wide range of subjects from behind the scenes. We love to share stories from our home in Tibet, especially those related to food, and we like to reflect on everything from the immigrant experience here in the UK to what it’s like feeding the five thousand in a festival field.
It’s inevitable that from time to time we bring into focus some of the challenges that we face in the day-to-day running of our small business. Often these challenges have nothing to do with being Tibetan, but represent issues felt across our industry as a whole.
Sometimes this means explaining how VAT works, as we discover that many of our customers have no idea that HMRC claims 20% of every hot food sale that we make. We’ve also given the lowdown on tips so that you can understand where these go when you’re kind enough to add a little extra to your bill. We’ve even explored the role played by local eateries such as Taste Tibet in helping you to live a longer life.
On Friday, we cycled up to Brookes University for a meeting with Anneliese Dodds, our local MP. Hospitality, as you may know, is struggling, but without businesses spelling out the reasons why, it’s unlikely we’ll see positive change in the upcoming Budget.
Here’s the thing: most MPs are generalists. They’re attuned to people’s moods, but need input from stakeholders and experts before they can take action. It’s our job to help them gain a better understanding of what’s going on in their patch.
For example, Ms Dodds did not appear to know that as of July this year, restaurants like ours are no longer able to recruit chefs from overseas. She also needed help understanding why VAT at its current level is so hard for hospitality to stomach, especially when taken together with rising business rates, employer national insurance contributions, costs of ingredients and bills, and so on.
If prices at your local eatery look higher than they should, it’s not greed going on, but a desperate struggle to get the finances to work. If the big guys can’t make the figures add up (did you see yesterday’s news about Pizza Hut?), imagine how much harder it is for the independent round your corner. Compassion is king.
The restaurant is open all the usual hours this week, as follows:
Weds – Fri: 5-9.30pm (dinner only)
Saturday: 12-3 / 5-9.30pm
Sunday: 12-3 / 5-9pm
This week’s menu is up on the website – check it. Drop by for dine in, take away or a wide range of freezer food. We have plenty of chilli oil in stock too.
Newsletter subscribers get a delicious chai on us this week. Are you signed up? Here’s a link to our Substack. Just hit subscribe to receive all the deals straight into your inbox.
Looking forward to seeing you soon!
Julie and Yeshi
Opening hours this week:
Weds – Fri: 5-9.30pm
Saturday: 12-3pm 🥢 5-9.30pm
Sunday: 12-3pm 🥢 5-9pm
☏ 01865 499318
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