The hospitality sector is facing a substantial increase in operating costs as the Chancellor confirms a 6.7% rise in the National Living Wage, set to take effect in April 2025. The uplift will raise the hourly rate from £11.44 to £12.21, directly impacting more than 3 million workers and adding an estimated £1.9bn to the hospitality sector’s wage bill.
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A survey of pubs, breweries and hospitality businesses has revealed that jobs and investment plans would be threatened if business rates relief expires in April, causing bills to quadruple.
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Hospitality and leisure businesses face a fourfold increase in their bills, potentially adding tens of thousands of pounds to costs per venue, if business rates relief ends on 31 March.
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The government dashed hopes of a cut to alcohol duty following the announcement of the Spring Budget today (6 March) by chancellor Jeremy Hunt.
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The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) along with over 100 UK wine and spirit producers, retailers and hospitality businesses have called on the government to cut duty in a ‘last-ditch plea’ ahead of the Budget announcement on 6 March.
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A duty cut to Scotch Whisky and other spirits would generate an extra £1.6bn over five years for public services, a new report has found.
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A joint survey by UKHospitality, the British Beer and Pub Association, British Institute of Innkeeping and Hospitality Ulster has revealed the cost pressures facing venues compared to 2023.
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Faced with falling wine and spirit sales and subsequent diminishing revenues to the Exchequer, the Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has called upon the Chancellor to reduce duty on the sector in the 6 March Spring budget.
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It’s likely that alcohol will play little to no role in the celebrations in the Sunak household this evening, as the UK prepares for a new – and perhaps its first ever teetotal Prime Minster – in Number 10.
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In a campaign organised by UKHospitality, more than 250 business leaders from the service and leisure industries have written to the Chancellor Rishi Sunak, urging the government to keep VAT at 12.5% beyond March 2022.
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Now the dust has settled and the Chancellor has published proposals to change the UK alcohol taxation system, Miles Beale, chief executive of the Wine & Spirit Trade Association, picks apart the pros and cons of the suggested model.
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UK Hospitality (UKH) has called on the government to provide further support for the sector by improving access to capital and to stick to the roadmap of lifting all restrictions from 21 June.
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UK Hospitality (UKH) has warned that the business rates relief cap will jeopardise the future of thousands of hospitality venues, which will face full rates bills within weeks following the unrestricted opening of the sector planned for June.
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Duty on wines, spirits and beers is to be frozen, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced in today’s Budget.
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Hospitality leaders are optimistic about the long-term future of the sector and its role in the UK’s economic recovery, with many businesses seeking to grow rather than shrink, the latest CGA Business Leaders' Survey has revealed.
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The Covid-19 pandemic has failed to halt the UK’s distillery boom with new figures showing a record number of distilleries were registered in 2020.
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The WSTA has renewed its calls on the Chancellor to cut alcohol duty to allow UK businesses to “thrive and compete on a global stage”.
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The Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) is calling on the Chancellor to extend the VAT reduction as well as the duty cut for alcohol as it says businesses in the on-trade have been ‘unable to feel the benefit’ of the schemes.
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Up to 310,000 jobs across the hospitality and tourism sector are at risk without an extension of the reduced 5% VAT rate, a new survey has revealed.
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Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced that the government’s Job Retention Scheme, better known as the furlough scheme, will be extended until the end of March 2021, with government once again paying 80% of wages up to £2,500 to see businesses through a second wave of Covid-19 infections.
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