As one of our 2025 charity partners, we catch-up with Katie Lestner of Hospitality Action. A charity that has long been a lifeline for individuals across the industry – offering practical, financial, and emotional support to those facing challenging times.
For anyone hearing about you for the first time, what is Hospitality Action all about?
Hospitality Action (HA) has been supporting the UK hospitality industry since 1837. Over the past five years alone we’ve helped hundreds of thousands of hospitality people who’ve fallen on hard times. We provide advice, emotional support, and financial assistance to help hospitality people and their families get back on their feet when life gets tough. Since 2020, we’ve awarded over 15,000 grants, totalling £5 million, to hospitality households across the UK.
Hospitality is an industry full of hardworking, passionate people, from chefs and bartenders to receptionists and kitchen porters. We’re here for all of them, whenever they need us. And because we receive no government funding, every pound we spend comes from the generosity of our supporters.
What makes the support you provide so essential to people working in the hospitality industry?
Life in hospitality can be unpredictable. From illness or injury to mental health challenges, family crises, or financial difficulties, many workers face hurdles that can make day to day life overwhelming. Hospitality Action steps in to provide practical, emotional and financial support, helping people stay resilient during tough times. And when continuing in their role isn’t possible, we help prepare them for the next chapter of their life.
Do you have a story (anonymous of course) that shows the kind of real-world impact your support has?
Peter’s hospitality career was thriving, but life took a devastating turn when his eyesight began to fail, and he was diagnosed with two brain tumours. Despite the devastating diagnosis, Peter kept working. The emotional and physical toll of chemotherapy was overwhelming. That’s when he turned to us. Hospitality Action offered him a listening ear, practical support, and a reminder that he wasn’t alone. Stories like Peter’s are only possible thanks to our supporters. Every pound raised helps someone just like him. Peter’s story, and how we supported him, can be watched here. The holidays are the busiest time of the year for so many chefs, servers and bar teams.
What unique pressures do hospitality workers face during the festive season?
Hospitality is at the heart of our festive celebrations, from Christmas parties to family dinners. But behind the scenes, chefs, servers, and bar teams work under immense pressure.
Restaurants, hotels, and bars operate at full capacity, serving larger groups and more orders than usual. Kitchen teams must work faster and produce more food, while front-of-house staff carry heavier loads, navigate crowded spaces, and maintain a cheerful, welcoming presence.
Winter brings additional challenges: staffing shortages, longer shifts, and commuting home in the dark. Hospitality workers are the backbone of the festive season, making it magical for everyone else, even when it’s exhausting for them.
How does Hospitality Action step in when someone in the industry is struggling?
Hospitality Action provides a full spectrum of support for those in need. Over the past five years, we’ve awarded more than 15,000 grants, helped over 200,000 workers through counselling, advice, and helplines, and supported older hospitality professionals through our Golden Friends scheme.
Our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) offers comprehensive, wraparound care, including counselling, legal and financial advice, and trauma support tailored specifically for hospitality workers. We continually evolve our services, driven by innovation in fundraising, to ensure that anyone who turns to us, at any stage of their career, can find practical, emotional, and financial support.
How has the rising cost-of-living changed the needs of those turning to you for help?
The cost-of-living crisis has made it harder for many households to cover basic needs,like heating their homes and buying food. We’ve seen a significant rise in requests for support with everyday bills, including supermarket vouchers and winter fuel grants. Hospitality Action helps ensure that workers and their families can stay safe, warm, and fed during these challenging times.
Why does an event like the Padstow Christmas Fayre feel like a natural partner for your charity?
The Padstow Christmas Fayre celebrates the very best of Cornish food, drink, and hospitality, values which are at the heart of what we do. It’s a perfect way to showcase and honour the industry at a time when hospitality shines the brightest. We also have strong ties to the Southwest, with our regional fundraising board hosting many events in support of HA over the years. Partnering with the Fayre feels like a natural extension of this connection.
What is the most meaningful way someone attending the Fayre can support Hospitality Action this Christmas?
Come say hello at our stand in the Community Tent and try our sponsored sticky toffee puddings made by chef Adrian Oliver or pick up a copy of our Chefs at Home cookbook. Featuring recipes from 54 top chefs, including Tom Kerridge, Jamie Oliver, and Gordon Ramsay, this isn’t just a cookbook: it’s a tribute to every chef, waiter, housekeeper, and hospitality worker in the UK.
All proceeds from the puddings and cookbooks go directly to Hospitality Action, helping us support people in the industry when they need it most.
If a local hospitality worker is reading this and needs help, how can they reach out?
Our Hospitality Action Helpline is available 24 hours a day and can be reached on 0808 802 0282. Our team is here to listen, provide advice, and help in any way we can. Alternatively, they can visit our website which contains a wealth of information.
What is your Christmas wish for the hospitality community this year?
This Christmas, we wish that every hospitality worker knows they are appreciated, valued, and never alone. We hope the season brings kindness and support, and if it feels out of reach, we want them to know they can always find it at Hospitality Action.
