Legislation

Ludicrous: Bank of England boss warnings to avoid price increases 'impossible' (Credit: Getty/	DNY59)

Advice to avoid price increases 'ludicrous'

By Rebecca Weller

Trade bodies across the sector have hit out at the Bank of England (BoE) Governor's “ludicrous” and “impossible” suggestion that firms should “stomach” cost increases.

No laughing matter: NTIA welcomes ban of nitrous oxide (Getty/ Peter Dazeley)

Trade body welcomes nitrous oxide ban

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has welcomed the Government’s ban of nitrous oxide gas, after the drug had put “immense pressure” on the late-night sector.

Fix the source: tackling main drivers of inflation would reduce need for interest rate increases (Credit: Getty/DNY59)

Rising costs leave firms with 'stark choices'

By Rebecca Weller

Tackling the main drivers of inflation and offering hospitality firms “enhanced support” would “reduce the need” for interest rate increases, UKHospitality (UKH) chief executive Kate Nicholls has stated.

Initiative change: the current Energy Bill Relief Scheme is set to end on 31 March and will be replaced by the energy Bill Discount Scheme (image: Getty/bernie_photo)

7 days until ‘energy tipping point’ for pubs

By Nikkie Thatcher

The closure of the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) for firms has the potential to mean companies are forced to close, downsize or restructure, a business organisation has warned.

Opinions offered: the tied tenant survey results are expected to be announced shortly

OPINION

MRO made more accessible

By Fiona Dickie, pubs code adjudicator

It has been a busy few weeks for the pubs code adjudicator (PCA).

What's in the news 17 March?

Review of the Week

‘Politics back to normal’

By Ed Bedington

The MA's Ed Bedington caught up with UKHospitality boss Kate Nicholls to get her take on the week's news, which has seen the Spring Budget announced, Ofgem's letter to Government and potential train strike breakthroughs.

Crisis after crisis: Spring Budget did not go far enough to rebalance catastrophic impact of rising costs (credit: Getty/Ales-A)

SPRING BUDGET 2023

Spring Budget 'did not go far enough'

By Rebecca Weller

The measures announced in the Spring Budget “did not go far enough” to “rebalance catastrophic impact” of rising costs across the board, according to trade bodies from across the sector.

Threat of closure: Lack of energy support for businesses in Budget comes under fire (Getty/ simonkr)

SPRING BUDGET 2023

Axed energy support may cause mass closures

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Music Venue Trust (MVT) has warned the Government’s failure to extend the business energy relief scheme in yesterday’s Spring Budget would lead to mass venue closures.

More disruption: March and April rail strikes could cost sector £600m in lost sales (Credit: Getty/Marc Scruton)

March rail strikes could cost sector £600m

By Rebecca Weller

Further industrial action on rail and tube services during March and April could cost the hospitality sector £600m in lost sales, trade body UKHospitality (UKH) has stated.

Heart-breaking: late night sector has lost more than 4,000 firms since the start of the pandemic (Credit: Getty/	Flashpop)

Over 4,000 firms lost since start of the pandemic

By Rebecca Weller

The night-time culture economy (NTCE) has lost more than 4,000 businesses since the start of the pandemic and 33,000 jobs, a Night-Time Industries Association (NTIA) report has highlighted.

Budget offers puns but no support

SPRING BUDGET 2023

Sadly, it's not a joke Mr Hunt

By Ed Bedington

“British ale is warm, but the duty on a pint is frozen” were the words uttered by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and the flippancy of his remark sums up the level of care this Government appears to have for the hospitality sector.

Government announcement: the Spring Budget was unveiled by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt (image: Getty/Mahmud013)

SPRING BUDGET 2023

End of energy support will put trade in 'unsustainable predicament'

By Nikkie Thatcher

While the Government has extended its Energy Price Guarantee for households, the Chancellor failed to mention any further support on rocketing utility bills for businesses in the Spring Budget today (Wednesday 15 March).

Calls ignored: business rates were not mentioned in the Spring Budget (Credit:Getty/mammuth)

SPRING BUDGET 2023

Failure to address business rates reform will ‘anger’ sector

By Gary Lloyd

Despite industry-wide calls for reformation to business rates, the Conservative Party’s Spring Budget failed to offer anything new to the under-pressure on-trade, which would “frustrate and anger” the sector.

Spring Budget: There will be no reform to the apprenticeship levy (Getty/ SolStock)

SPRING BUDGET 2023

Spring Budget 2023: No apprenticeship levy reform

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The Chancellor did not announce a reform to the apprenticeship levy in the Spring Budget today (Wednesday 15 March), despite hospitality claiming it was “holding back investment”.

OFGEM letter: energy regulator finds areas of significant concern (Credit: Getty/	simarik)

Ofgem finds areas of 'significant concern' in business contracts

By Rebecca Weller

Non-compliant energy suppliers must be “held accountable” by the Government and work with businesses to find “pragmatic solutions” to inflated contracts following Ofgem’s letter to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt yesterday (Tuesday 14 March).

Government statement: Chancellor Jeremy Hunt preparing to unveil the Spring Budget (image: Zara Farrar / HM Treasury)

Industry awaits Budget announcement

By Nikkie Thatcher

Operators are waiting to hear what Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has to say in the Spring Budget later today (Wednesday 15 March).

Heart-breaking: NTIA report shows 1 in 4 night-time economy businesses at risk of closure over the next 6 months (Credit: Getty/allanswart)

NTIA warns 1 in 4 NTE firms at risk in next 12 months

By Rebecca Weller

About one in four independent and culture businesses are at risk of “being lost” in the next six months, the second Night-Time Industries Association (NTIA) Night-Time Economy Report has revealed.

Time needed to answer concerns: Scottish Licensed Trade Association managing director Colin Wilkinson

SLTA hits back over DRS claims

By Gary Lloyd

The Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) has called for swift action over its fears for the August introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) because there are still many unanswered questions about its operation and believes small businesses...

Progressing forward: The MP announced the update at the UKH Workforce and Skills conference

Hospitality Strategy marks ‘substantial progress’

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

An update on Government’s Hospitality Strategy unveiled yesterday (1 March), has revealed “substantial progress” has been made in the sector’s recovery, according to UKHospitality (UKH).

Make or break moment: BBPA urges calls for 'sustainable plan for growth' (Credit: Getty/mikedabell)

BBPA warns 2,000 pubs at risk of closure

By Rebecca Weller

Some two-thousand pubs could close without a "plan for sustainable growth" in the Chancellor's Spring Budget later this month, the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has stated.

Sector reaction: trade bodies have responded to the new deal announcement (image: Getty/Henrik Sorensen)

New NI trade deal ‘encouraging’

By Nikkie Thatcher

The new Windsor Framework has been welcomed by a number of trade bodies, alongside hopes it will deliver clarity for businesses in Northern Ireland.

Inflated contracts: Government needs to step in and tell energy suppliers to

Firms ‘duped’ into signing ‘inflated’ energy contracts

By Rebecca Weller

The Government needs to tell energy suppliers to “stop being greedy” and allow businesses to renegotiate contracts after being “duped” into agreeing to “inflated” prices, according to one West Yorkshire-based operator.

Hope on the horizon: fall in food inflation an ‘encouraging reminder’ (credit: Getty/Solstock)

Foodservice inflation in first fall since 2021

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Foodservice price inflation dropped to 22% in January in an “encouraging” start for hospitality, but challenges persist, the new edition of the CGA Prestige Foodservice Price Index has revealed.

Eco-friendly scheme: demand is clear for more time is needed to prepare for DRS (credit: Getty/Peter Blottman Photography)

Scottish trade bodies demands answers over DRS

By Gary Lloyd

Trade bodies have demanded clarity over the implementation of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) after Circularity Scotland announced £22m would be made available to support drinks producers.

Cliff edge: inflation rates continue to hinder hospitality sector (Credit: Getty/	Ibrahim Akcengiz)

Inflation rates continue to 'hinder' sector

By Rebecca Weller

Inflation rates show “promising” signs but price increases continue to “hinder” the hospitality sector, according to UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls.

GDP figures: sector suffering despite narrowly avoided recession (Credit: Getty/atiatiati)

Hospitality is suffering impact of recession

By Gary Lloyd

The hospitality sector is suffering despite official figures showing the UK narrowly avoided falling into recession in 2022, the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has stated.

New focus: sector welcomes Gov reshuffle (Credit: Getty/Robert Ingelhart)

Sector welcomes Gov reshuffle

By Rebecca Weller

The hospitality sector has welcomed the creation of a new Government department to focus on energy security.

Glass act: trade bodies believe a lack of clarity on the DRS is delaying preparations for the implementation of the scheme. Credit: (Getty/Zero Creatives)

Many firms won’t meet DRS deadline

By Gary Lloyd

Trade associations have warned the Scottish government thousands of businesses are unable to meet the deadline to implement the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS).

Research reveals: a recent survey showed 16% of trade body members have no cash reserves (image: Getty/georgeclerk)

Warnings of thousands more closures without help

By Nikkie Thatcher

A number of trade bodies have warned there will be further pub closures if the Government doesn’t step in to help businesses battle ‘devastating energy costs’.

Interest rate increases: not all 'doom and gloom' for the sector but Chancellor must keep the 'added pressure' in mind ahead of Spring Budget (Credit: Getty/DNY59)

Rising interest rates not 'all doom and gloom'

By Rebecca Weller

Interest rate increases are not all “doom and gloom” for the hospitality sector however it is important the Chancellor takes the added “pressure” into account in the upcoming Spring Budget.