Government

Controversial Deposit Return Scheme delayed until October 2025

07-Jun-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Trade bodies have welcomed the opportunity for a more collaborative approach to finalising the details of Scotland's Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) after the start of the initiative was delayed for the third time.

How to avoid 'rogue' business rates agents

07-Jun-2023 By Rebecca Weller

The Valuations Office Agency (VOA) has urged pub owners to “protect themselves” against “rogue” business rates agent.

Scotland and UK cannot afford to lose DRS says administrator

06-Jun-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Too much money has been invested into the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for it not to go ahead as planned says the initiative’s organiser Circularity Scotland.

‘Get a grip’ on train strikes call from BrewDog boss

02-Jun-2023 By Gary Lloyd

BrewDog boss James Brown has demanded the Government “get a grip” of ongoing train strikes, which have lasted for almost a year, to save independent hospitality businesses.

OPINION

Sunak’s smoke and mirrors won’t bring down the cost of a pint

25-May-2023 By Dom Hope-Smith, director and co-founder, Carnival Brewing Company

During a recent trip to Japan on his way to the G7 summit, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak gave a press interview in which he was quoted as saying: “We reformed the alcohol duties that mean this summer you will be able to get cheaper beer in pubs. These are...

Big Interview

The undercover boss

24-May-2023 By Ed Bedington

There won’t be many captains of industry that look to stay close to the coalface, but for one top boss, playing an undercover role behind the bar is key to understanding his business.

Business rates appeal system 'isn't working'

18-May-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Latest Government figures indicate the business rates appeal system “isn’t working”, property expert firm Colliers has stated.

Vacancies remain 'stubbornly high'

17-May-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Vacancies in the hospitality sector remain “stubbornly high” despite overall year-on-year decline, trade body UKHospitality (UKH) has stated.

OPINION

Strangling hospitality demand not the solution to inflation

16-May-2023 By Ed Bedington

The idea that raising interest rates to try to curb consumer spending in pubs, bars and restaurants is another slap in the face for a sector that seems to have become the whipping boys for the authorities.

CAMRA calls on Gov to save high street pubs

15-May-2023 By Gary Lloyd

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) believes the Government’s ‘Levelling Up’ bill could put the future of thousands of pubs at risk and has called for their planning rights to be protected.

BrewDog boss wants Gov to install hospitality representative

12-May-2023 By Gary Lloyd

The Government needs to appoint a representative who recognises the huge contribution hospitality makes to the UK economy, according to BrewDog Bars chief executive James Brown.

Gambling White Paper shows 'positive steps'

28-Apr-2023 By Rebecca Weller

The white paper on gambling provides an “opportunity to improve” protection in pubs and demonstrated “positive steps” towards “fairness”, trade bodies from across the sector have stated.

Sector can be 'catalyst for growth' with local authority backing

27-Apr-2023 By Rebecca Weller

The hospitality sector can be a “catalyst for growth” in communities with support from local authorities, trade body UKHospitality (UKH) has stated.

New Gov support could save some firms 20% on energy bills

26-Apr-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Energy intensive businesses, including breweries, could save 20% on predicted wholesale energy prices under new Government support as part of the Energy Bill Discount Scheme (EBDS).

Pubs need VAT reduction to avoid further closures

25-Apr-2023 By Rebecca Weller

More than two fifths of operators stated a VAT reduction would help the sector avoid further closures.

Being a good employer is a 'difficult balancing act'

25-Apr-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Keeping balance amid “off the scale” challenges is “crucial” to being a good pub employer, according to Barons Pub Company managing director Clive Price.

Vote now: how can Gov best support your pub?

21-Apr-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Trade body UKHospitality (UKH) has called for “swift action” from the Government to “curb” cost increases.

Former GBPA finalist bans phones ahead of Gov emergency alert test

20-Apr-2023 By Rebecca Weller

A Somerset-based pub has asked customers to leave their phones at home during Sunday lunch service on 23 April to avoid “unnecessary intrusion” from the Government's new Emergency Alert system test.

Food costs hit 45-year high despite inflation rate decline

19-Apr-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Soaring food costs are continuing to create “unsustainable” trading conditions for the hospitality sector despite an ease to the headline rate of inflation.

UKH urges Gov to 'take action' to tackle staffing crisis

19-Apr-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Trade body UKHopsitality (UKH) has urged the Government to "take action" to alleviate continuing labour issues for hospitality firms.

Trade bodies 'welcome' DRS delay

19-Apr-2023 By Rebecca Weller

The delay to the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) in Scotland has been welcomed by trade bodies across the sector.

Labour market continues to 'constrain growth'

18-Apr-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Labour shortages have continued to “constrain growth”, according to UKHospitality (UKH) chief executive Kate Nicholls.

'Strength in numbers' needed to fight energy crisis

17-Apr-2023 By Rebecca Weller

The hospitality sector needs "strength in numbers" to challenge the cost of energy bills, night-time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, Sacha Lord, has stated.

Bank holiday weekend ‘welcomed fillip’ amid rising dependence on events

06-Apr-2023 By Orla Noonan

Independent businesses have reported needing to “go the extra mile” ahead of the Easter bank holiday, as declining consumer confidence continues to further dependence on calendar dates and event.

Pubs could save over £5k with new rates values

03-Apr-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Pubs could save an average of more than £5,000 under the new commercial property values introduced on Saturday 1 April, data from real estate intelligence firm Altus Group has revealed.

THE LOCK IN PODCAST

How important is tipping in pubs?

03-Apr-2023 By Ed Bedington

The latest episode of the podcast saw the team look at service charge and tipping as a new bill goes through parliament.

OPINION

All change for tipping as new legislation draws closer

03-Apr-2023 By Peter Davies, managing director, WMT Troncmaster Services

The Employment (Allocation of Tips) Bill passed another stage of its Parliamentary journey this week.

New bill aims to 'modernise' business rates system

31-Mar-2023 By Rebecca Weller

The Government has announced a new non-domestic rating bill to support businesses by “modernising” the business rates system.

Sector faces extra £7.3bn energy bill as support ‘significantly reduced’

31-Mar-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Sector businesses are facing a hike of £7.3bn in energy bill costs as the Energy Bill Discount Scheme is introduced tomorrow (Saturday 1 April), according to UKHospitality (UKH).

SLTA calls for 'urgent reset' from new SNP leader

28-Mar-2023 By Rebecca Weller

The Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) has “congratulated” Humza Yousaf on his appointment as the new leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP).

Advice to avoid price increases 'ludicrous'

27-Mar-2023 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.

Rising costs leave firms with 'stark choices'

24-Mar-2023 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.

OPINION

Governor's inflation calls a slap in the face

24-Mar-2023 By Ed Bedington

The Bank of England Governor has called on businesses, including pubs, to not raise prices to avoid fuelling inflation.

Rising inflation shows 'clear correlation' with soaring prices in sector

22-Mar-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Inflation rates “unexpectedly” rose by 10.4% in the 12 months to February 2023, the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures from the Office For National Statistics (ONS) have revealed.

RMT offer acceptance 'encouraging news' for sector

21-Mar-2023 By Rebecca Weller

The end of the RMT union's trade dispute with Network Rail is “encouraging news” for the hospitality sector, UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls stated.

Review of the Week

‘Politics back to normal’

17-Mar-2023 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.

Momentum gained on petition to reduce VAT to 10%

17-Mar-2023 By Gary Lloyd

More than 12,000 people have signed an official parliament petition to reduce the VAT rate on hospitality businesses to 10%.

SPRING BUDGET 2023

Duty inequality with supermarkets 'economically counterproductive'

16-Mar-2023 By Rebecca Weller

The draught duty relief announced in the Spring Budget is a “positive step”, but anything less than “equality” with supermarkets is “economically counterproductive”, according to industry leaders.

SPRING BUDGET 2023

Spring Budget 'did not go far enough'

16-Mar-2023 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.

SPRING BUDGET 2023

BrewDog boss: freezing duty worthless if you can’t heat your pub

16-Mar-2023 By Gary Lloyd

BrewDog co-founder and chief executive James Watt has branded the Spring Budget ‘underwhelming’ and issued a four-point plan for what should have been announced.

March rail strikes could cost sector £600m

16-Mar-2023 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.

Over 4,000 firms lost since start of the pandemic

15-Mar-2023 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.

SPRING BUDGET 2023

Sadly, it's not a joke Mr Hunt

15-Mar-2023 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.

SPRING BUDGET 2023

Failure to address business rates reform will ‘anger’ sector

15-Mar-2023 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 2023

Hunt announces 'British ale is warm but the duty on a pint is frozen'

15-Mar-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Speaking in the House of Commons in Westminster, London, today (Wednesday 15 March), Chancellor Jeremy Hunt laid out his plans to “increase the generosity of draught relief” for pubs.

Ofgem finds areas of 'significant concern' in business contracts

15-Mar-2023 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).

February sees 'considerably smaller' uplift in consumer spending

09-Mar-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Pubs, bars and clubs saw a “considerably smaller” uplift in consumer spending last month compared with January, the latest figures from Barclaycard have revealed.

Calls for measures to 'unshackle' firms ahead of Budget

08-Mar-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Hundreds of hospitality businesses have signed an open letter urging the Chancellor to implement measures to “unshackle” the sector in the upcoming Spring Budget.

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

06-Mar-2023 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.

Almost a third of pubs hike beer prices by more than 5%

01-Mar-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Almost a third (30%) of operators have increased beer prices by more than 5% during the past six months, a snap poll by the Morning Advertiser has revealed.