Legislation

Business research: a survey from sector trade bodies showed a quarter of businesses are out of cash reserves (image: Getty/claudiodivizia)

1 in 4 firms out of cash

By Nikkie Thatcher

A quarter of businesses have no cash reserves left while less than a third (29%) have under three months’ left, new research has shown.

Sector worry: the BBPA and UKHospitality highlight concerns about the UK entering a technical recession (image: Getty/yevtony)

UK entering technical recession ‘big worry’

By Nikkie Thatcher

Official figures indicating the UK fell into a technical recession at the end of last year are ‘hugely concerning’ for the hospitality sector, one trade body said.

Significant pressure: BBPA calls for change ahead of Spring Budget amid static inflation rates (Credit: Getty/Zedelle)

Stagnant inflation shows need for 'vital' changes

By Rebecca Weller

Unchanging inflation rates show the Government must make “vital” changes in next month's Spring Budget to “alleviate significant pressure”, the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has warned.

Driving change: The mayors of the North and West Midlands discuss the night-time economy (Credit: Elspeth Moore)

Mayors of the North call for VAT cut

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Mayors of the North united to call for an industry-wide VAT cut in the Spring Budget at the Night Time Economy Summit last week.

Pubs need help: hospitality leaders have written to the Government (credit: Getty/miodrag ignjatovic)

BBPA members demand help ahead of Budget

By Gary Lloyd

Leaders of more than 80 of the UK’s pub companies and breweries – who are members of the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) – have written to the Chancellor to demand action at next month’s Budget on VAT, business rates and beer duty.

Squeezed margins: importance of pubs getting lost in sea of rising costs (Clive Price pictured far right with one of the pubco's teams)

'Crucial role of pubs getting lost'

By Rebecca Weller

The “crucial role” pubs play in communities is getting lost in a sea of squeezed margins and undervaluation, Barons Pub Company managing director Clive Price told The Morning Advertiser.

No money for margin or investment: Kate Nicholls says Government demands are leaving the sector in dire straits

Kate Nicholls: Cost of doing business is too high

By Gary Lloyd

With the Spring Budget approaching, UKHospitality (UKH) chief executive Kate Nicholls has told the Government “the cost of doing business is just too high” and steps must be taken.

Licensing knowhow: Poppleston Allen answer questions around trading later hours and extending premises size (image: Getty/VTT Studio)

LICENSING HUB - LEGAL WITH POPPLESTON ALLEN

Legal Q&A: trading later hours & extending venue rules

By Felix Faulkner, solicitor, Poppleston Allen

In the latest Q&A with Poppleston Allen, the legal experts tackle the rules around extending trading hours and making a premises larger.

Time is ticking on more than one issue: Andy Slee says the Chancellor must do something for the sector in Budget

OPINION

Utility firms’ £1bn weekly bonanza and Covid loans timebomb

By Andy Slee, chief executive, Society of Independent brewers (SIBA)

I am optimistic about the long-term future of hospitality. If lockdown taught us anything, it was people’s hunger to meet friends and family and to support local community pubs and breweries.

What's in the news 2 February?

'I'm flabbergasted at interest rates'

By Ed Bedington

The MA's Ed Bedington caught up with Camerons boss Chris Soley to get his take on the week's news, from government debate to interest rates and pub closures.

Speaking up: Publicans can share their views in the PCA's new survey

PCA launches 2024 Annual Tied Tenant Survey

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The pubs code adjudicator (PCA) has announced the launch of its Annual Tied Tenants Survey, calling on tied publicans to share their views on the pub company and the PCA.

Company news: there was a significant jump in the number of insolvencies in the hospitality industry in the fourth quarter of 2023, RSM UK's Robyn Duffy says (image: Getty/Fentino)

Hospitality insolvencies up more than a third

By Nikkie Thatcher

The number of firms in the accommodation and food services sector becoming insolvent has increased by 37% on an annual basis, official statistics have found.

Stark figures: almost 23,000 firms lost since December 2022 (Credit: Getty/onfilm)

Almost 23k hospitality firms lost since 2020

By Rebecca Weller

Close to 23,000 licensed businesses across the sector have closed in the last three years, figures from the latest Hospitality Market Monitor have revealed.

Outlook for 2024: Scottish venues experienced a poor new year according to SLTA MD Colin Wilkinson

SLTA ‘deeply concerned’ over state of hospitality in Scotland

By Gary Lloyd

Three out of four Scottish hospitality operators will need government support to survive this year while 96% say the Scottish government is out of touch with business community, according to the SLTA (Scottish Licensed Trade Association).

Positive step: UKH welcomes measures to ban drip pricing (Credit: Getty/istankov)

UKH welcomes measures to ban drip pricing

By Rebecca Weller

UKHospitality (UKH) has welcomed new Government legislation banning drip pricing as “important features” to help pubs with rooms are excluded from the bill.

Remain alert: new border checks could 'put momentum back into inflation' (Credit: Getty/Photo_Concepts)

New border checks risk fuelling food inflation

By Rebecca Weller

New border checks could cause disruptions to supply chains and push foodservice price inflation, the latest Foodservice Price Index (FPI) from CGA and Prestige Purchasing has warned.

Right thing to do: WSTA calls for duty cut in Spring Budget (Credit: Getty/Carlo Prearo)

WSTA: 'duty cut would offer much-needed boost'

By Rebecca Weller

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has called on the Chancellor to cut wine and spirit duty to combat both falling sales volumes and reduced revenue to the Exchequer ahead of the Spring Budget in March.

Support an Independent Pub Day: London Pub Explorer urges people to support their local pub in the face of challenging economic headwinds (Pictured: Tuesday Roberts at the Northcote Arms)

EXCLUSIVE

Support an Independent Pub Day launched

By Rebecca Weller

The London Pub Explorer has launched ‘Support an Independent Pub Day’ in a bid to raise awareness of challenges and closures across the hospitality sector.

Call for help: UKHospitality Scotland has urged the Scottish Government to introduce a 75% business rates relief scheme (image: Getty/selamiozalp)

Scottish venues £110k worse off

By Nikkie Thatcher

A lack of support from the Scottish Government has left hospitality venues more than £100,000 worse off than their counterparts in England, figures have shown.

Government support: NTIA calls for VAT cut

NTIA calls for Gov to slash VAT

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has urged for VAT to be cut for all businesses in the Spring Budget to save the night time economy from collapse.

Stop the rot: BBPA urges Gov to secure sector's future as 509 pubs shut in 2023 (Credit: Getty/	dmbaker)

More than 500 pubs closed in 2023

By Rebecca Weller

More than 500 pubs closed their doors for good last year, data from the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has revealed.