Catering establishments should have a quality standard to ensure that the hospitality sector retains a good name with tourists, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo said on Monday. 

“There have been times when I myself went to a restaurant and was served cold food. I wish to make it clear that not all restaurants are like this, but you find a few establishments who are, and those give a bad name to the sector as a whole.”

Bartolo was speaking at a meeting with members of the Association of Catering Establishment (ACE).

He said that catering establishments play a fundamental role in the hospitality and tourism sectors and it was therefore important that they had the same quality  standard.  

The president of the ACE, Reuben Buttigieg said the first quarter of the year was always difficult but it will be more difficult in 2021 due to the pandemic.

“We are grateful to the government that has extended the wage supplement until March. The sector is also grateful for the new vouchers scheme, which will help this sector greatly,” he said. 

He observed that during the pandemic whilst restaurants and catering establishments were closed, the government launched training programmes for staff which were received positively.