Overview

• The charity has proposed cutting around 550 roles—roughly 6% of its 9,500-strong workforce—to address rising labour and National Insurance costs.
• Fewer than 10% of its 244 café kitchens, mostly smaller outlets, would cease local scone baking in favour of centrally produced goods.
• The Prospect union has warned that losing chefs and curators could damage visitor experience and reduce footfall.
• Volunteers fear off-site baking will erode the signature freshness that has made Trust scones a key visitor draw.
• A 2023 audit found venues with over 50,000 annual visitors rated scone quality at 4.4 out of 5, compared with 3.7 at lower-traffic sites.