Dean Banks is an acclaimed chef and owner of Dean Banks Group which operates a collection of restaurants across Scotland including Dean Banks at the Pompadour, Dulse, Haar, Dune, and Temple Lane.

In his first week as a new guest chef columnist for The Herald, he says restaurant owners must learn to adapt if they hope to stay afloat.

As a result of the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, we are inevitably going to see mass closures as hospitality businesses struggle to turn a profit this year.

People have had a jolly good time going to their festive parties and spending all of their Christmas savings, but now January has hit and going out is the first luxury that gets put aside when money gets tight.

Most sites are quieter at the moment, and not just within our group. I’ve seen that for myself when out for a coffee, going to a bar for a drink, or to a restaurant.

It doesn’t matter if it's with family and friends or solo dining, hospitality at its core is all about socialising. When sitting in the middle of a restaurant, you’re surrounded by people who have gathered to eat together and wanting to be a part of that is a very human thing.

© Herald Scotland