Government

Recruitment shortages 'continue to hold back growth' despite significant fall in vacancies

17-May-2023 By James McAllister

UKHospitality has warned recruitment shortages across the sector are 'continuing to hold back growth', despite a 'significant' drop in vacancies in the last year.

Tips Bill expected to come into force in 2024

03-May-2023 By James McAllister

A new law designed to ensure hospitality staff receive all the money left to them in tips by customers will likely come into force in 2024, the Government has announced.

Tips Bill to become law after clearing House of Lords

24-Apr-2023 By James McAllister

A private member's bill intended to ensure hospitality staff receive all the money left to them in tips by customers is set to become law after clearing the House of Lords.

Hospitality faces ‘summer slump’ without action to alleviate recruitment challenges

18-Apr-2023 By James McAllister

UKHospitality has warned that businesses face a ‘summer slump’ unless the Government takes action to alleviate recruitment challenges that continue to dog the sector.

Foodservice price inflation shows signs of easing but remains above 20%

14-Apr-2023 By James McAllister

Year-on-year food inflation fell slightly to 20.6% in February 2023, the new CGA Prestige Foodservice Price Index reveals.

UKHospitality demands ‘meaningful action’ to rein in ‘profiteering energy suppliers’

31-Mar-2023 By James McAllister

UKHospitality has warned that without meaningful action to rein in ‘profiteering energy suppliers’, the sector will no doubt see thousands of venues go out of business this year.

Government looks to ‘modernise’ business rates system with new bill

30-Mar-2023 By James McAllister

The Government has introduced a new bill that aims to ‘modernise’ the business rates system by incentivising property improvements and supporting more frequent revaluations.

Hospitality hits back at Bank of England suggestion businesses shouldn't raise prices

27-Mar-2023 By James McAllister

UKHospitality has hit out at the suggestion from Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey that businesses should not raise prices above the rate of inflation.

Industry left frustrated after hospitality excluded from UK shortage occupation list

21-Mar-2023 By James McAllister

Industry leaders have criticised the decision not to add hospitality roles to the UK's shortage occupation list, with one trade body describing the situation as 'disappointing'.

Conservative MP calls for VAT on hospitality to be cut to 10%

17-Mar-2023 By James McAllister

A Conservative MP has called on the Treasury to halve the VAT on hospitality to overcome what he described as a 'perfect storm' of cost pressures.

Hospitality reasserts calls for business rates reform in wake of ‘disappointing’ Budget

16-Mar-2023 By James McAllister

Hospitality leaders have reasserted calls for the Government to reform business rates, after the Chancellor ignored industry-wide calls for an overhaul of the current system in his Budget.

Budget ‘falls short’ as Chancellor overlooks calls for further hospitality support

15-Mar-2023 By James McAllister

Hospitality business have been left frustrated after the Chancellor failed to offer the sector any significant concessions in his spring Budget.

Hospitality sector counting on Chancellor for support in Budget

15-Mar-2023 By Georgi Gyton

Support on energy, business rates, VAT and the labour market are among the key areas the hospitality sector is calling for the Government to address in today's Budget (14 March).

UKHospitality calls for urgent Ofgem intervention

07-Mar-2023 By Shwetali Sapte

UKHospitality has reiterated the need for Ofgem to take energy suppliers to task for bad practice.

Government confirms plans to extend licensing hours for King’s Coronation weekend

06-Mar-2023 By James McAllister

Pubs, bars and clubs in England and Wales will be allowed to stay open for an extra two hours over the bank holiday weekend to mark the King’s Coronation.

Ministers look to add hospitality to UK shortage occupation list

06-Mar-2023 By James McAllister

Ministers are looking into adding hospitality to the UK's shortage occupation list, which would make it easier for businesses to recruit from overseas.

Hospitality Strategy update 'shows substantial progress'

02-Mar-2023 By Finn Scott-Delany

The Government has updated on its Hospitality Strategy and set out the ways it is supporting the sector overcome challenges including in job vacancies and licensing.

UKHospitality: 'Stark year ahead without Government intervention'

23-Feb-2023 By James McAllister

UKHospitality has warned that the sector faces a 'stark year ahead' with a third of businesses still 'at risk of failure' unless the Government intervenes to alleviate rising cost pressures.

UKHospitality calls for reform of apprenticeship levy

06-Feb-2023 By Georgi Gyton

UKHospitality has called for the reform of the Government’s apprenticeship levy, claiming the current system is 'too inflexible'.

Hospitality energy bills to almost double once support falls away

31-Jan-2023 By James McAllister

Businesses expect a further rise of 82% in their energy bills when the Government’s support is significantly reduced in April, a new hospitality sector survey reveals.

The Lowdown: The new tipping bill

27-Jan-2023 By James McAllister

After years of political back-and-forth, legislation intended to ensure hospitality staff receive all the money left to them in tips by customers is now closer than ever to becoming law.

Sacha Lord demands urgent inquiry as 2,000 small businesses fail to receive appropriate energy discounts

23-Jan-2023 By James McAllister

Sacha Lord, the Night Time Economy Adviser for Greater Manchester, has called for an urgent inquiry into evidence of withheld energy support for struggling hospitality businesses.

Tips Bill moves closer to becoming law as it clears Commons

20-Jan-2023 By James McAllister

A private member's bill intended to ensure hospitality staff receive all the money left to them in tips by customers is closer to becoming law after clearing the Commons.

UKHospitality calls on Ofgem to tackle the 'reckless behaviour’ of some energy suppliers

16-Jan-2023 By Restaurant

UKHospitality has written to energy regulator Ofgem urging it to penalise bad practice by energy suppliers and to compel them to renegotiate the worst deals.

Breweries to benefit from increased bill support as energy and trade intensive industry

10-Jan-2023 By James McAllister

Breweries will benefit from an increased rate of support under the Government's new Energy Bills Discount Scheme having been recognised as an energy and trade intensive industry.

Hospitality faces '£4.5bn bill hike' as Government slashes energy support

10-Jan-2023 By James McAllister

The hospitality sector 'faces a £4.5bn hike in its bills' from April after the Government confirmed it would slash the level of energy support businesses receive.

Chancellor warns energy support ‘unsustainably expensive’

05-Jan-2023 By Finn Scott-Delany

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has told business leaders the current level of energy support is 'unsustainably expensive' and that the current £18bn scheme was always limited to six months.

Cost of rail strikes to industry rises to £2.5bn

04-Jan-2023 By Restaurant

The impact of the train strikes has cost the hospitality sector a total of £2.5bn in lost sales since industrial action began in June last year, according to UKHospitality.

Christmas trade down at night time hospitality businesses as strikes and inflation bite

04-Jan-2023 By Restaurant

Trade in night time hospitality businesses was down by a fifth in December compared with 2019, a poll from the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has shown.

Energy support for businesses could be halved

03-Jan-2023 By Restaurant

The financial support on energy bills for businesses could be halved this year under new Government plans to cut costs to the Treasury.

Decision on further energy bill support for businesses postponed until New Year

20-Dec-2022 By Restaurant

A decision on extending help for businesses facing soaring energy bills will not be made until the new year, the Treasury has said.

Government extends alcohol duty freeze until August 2023

20-Dec-2022 By James McAllister

The Government has extended the alcohol duty freeze for a further six months in what's been described as a 'much needed Christmas present' for hard pressed hospitality businesses.

Welsh businesses to get £460m in rates support

13-Dec-2022 By Steve Farrell

Businesses in Wales will get rates support worth £460m over the next two financial years, the Welsh Government will announce in its upcoming draft budget.

December rail strikes to 'cost hospitality £1.5bn'

25-Nov-2022 By James McAllister

UKHospitality has warned that next month's rail strikes, which are set to take place in the run-up to Christmas, will cost the hospitality industry £1.5bn in lost sales.

Chancellor commits to business rates and energy support but hospitality remains fearful for the future

17-Nov-2022 By James McAllister

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has confirmed that business rates relief and support with rising energy bills will continue for firms beyond April 2023 in his Autumn Statement.

Protesters target parliament in third demonstration

15-Nov-2022 By Ed Bedington

Hospitality operators from across the UK gathered in Parliament Square this week, in a bid to raise awareness of the sector’s challenges with the Government.

Government set to announce living wage rise

15-Nov-2022 By Georgi Gyton

The Government is expected to announce a significant rise in the national living wage, from £9.50 an hour to around £10.40 an hour.

Hospitality firms 'most likely to cut trading to tackle energy costs'

15-Nov-2022 By James McAllister

Hospitality firms are the most likely to cut trading in order to help mitigate the impact of rising energy costs, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Hospitality sector faces £900m business rates increase

14-Nov-2022 By Restaurant

Hospitality businesses are facing a £900m increase in business rates next April, if current relief ends and rates increase in line with inflation, UKHospitality has warned.

Disappointment over lack of formal review for Late Night Levy

09-Nov-2022 By Georgi Gyton

UKHospitality has expressed disappointment that the Government will not carry out a formal consultation on the impact of the Late Night Levy.

The Lowdown: hospitality’s winter of discontent

04-Nov-2022 By James McAllister

With costs continuing to rise and staffing struggles persisting, restaurants are choosing to either go into hibernation mode for the winter or, worse, shut-up shop completely.

One in three nightclubs 'face closure' by the end of 2022

03-Nov-2022 By James McAllister

Nightclub closures have accelerated from one in five during the pandemic to one in three now facing closure by the end of 2022, figures clarified by CGA Vanilla reveal.

Third of hospitality businesses “at risk of going bust”

31-Oct-2022 By Joe Lutrario

More than a third of the UK’s hospitality sector is at risk of business failure in early 2023 due to what is being branded the ‘cost of doing business crisis’.

Hospitality calls for 'stable political leadership' as Sunak becomes Prime Minister

25-Oct-2022 By James McAllister

UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls has called for political stability to steady the economy following the announcement that Rishi Sunak will be UK's next Prime Minister.

English companies face £25bn business rates tax rise

19-Oct-2022 By Restaurant

Businesses in England are facing a £25bn business rates tax hike over the next five years on the back of inflation hitting double digits, it has been forecasted.

Cost of doing business 'completely out of control' for pubs as alcohol duty freeze reversed

18-Oct-2022 By James McAllister

Trade bodies have warned the Government's decision to scrap the planned freeze on alcohol duty has 'critically compromised' thousands of businesses and workers across the hospitality sector.

Tip deductions costing UK hospitality workers £200m a year, Labour claims

17-Oct-2022 By James McAllister

Labour has pledged to 'stamp out' unfair tip deductions, claiming that hospitality and leisure workers are missing out on around £200m a year.

Corporation tax to rise to 25% in Government U-turn

14-Oct-2022 By Restaurant

Corporation tax in Britain will rise to 25% following a U-turn on fiscal strategy by Prime Minister Liz Truss.

New DWP minister calls on employers to make use of Jobcentre Plus

30-Sep-2022 By Joe Lutrario

The new minister for the Department for Work and Pensions has called on hospitality employers to ‘tap into local talent’ through the Jobcentre Plus network.

Hospitality 'left out in the cold' as Chancellor announces sweeping tax cuts

23-Sep-2022 By James McAllister

Industry leaders have warned that today's mini-budget, which promises sweeping tax cuts but fails to offer firms any immediate financial support, will mean 'last orders' for thousands of hospitality businesses.