Highclere Castle in the south of England, where the historical drama series Downton Abbey about the lives of aristocrats and their servants was filmed, is experiencing an acute shortage of staff.
The main reason for the problems is the shortage of labor from the European Union, which forced the owner, Countess Fiona of Carnarvon, to suspend one of the main activities of the castle – holding large weddings and receptions on the territory associated with the award-winning castle. Series.
“We can no longer have large weddings due to Brexit,” said the Countess of Carnarvon, who runs the castle with her husband, the 8th Earl of Carnarvon. “There is no staff,” he admitted, speaking from the breakfast room in the Victorian castle, which is located on a territory of 20 square kilometers.
In previous years, Highclere has hosted over 25 weddings with over 100 guests each season. Weddings with around 20 guests can still take place, but the income from these events is far less than at a venue that can cost several thousand pounds a day.
Revenue from other Highclere ventures, such as the gift shop, also fell, which Carnarvon said reflects not only Brexit but also the blow to the hospitality industry from the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis.
The staffing challenges she is facing demonstrate the impact Brexit has had on the UK job market, three years after the UK left the European Union. There are no longer enough students from EU countries who studied at British universities and were admitted to work in receptions. “When we go to regular agencies and try to find people, they don’t exist,” the Countess comments. “If we asked for 10, three could appear… there is no one we didn’t ask.”
The number of EU students admitted to UK universities has dropped by 50% in 2021 and applications have fallen by 40%, partly due to Brexit-fueled uncertainty, the UCAS university admissions service said last year.
After leaving the European Union, the UK faced a shortage of workers in various sectors such as manufacturing, construction and logistics.
Source: CNN
Source: Kathimerini
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