Trade Associations

The latest news and updates on trade associations, from the business journalists at Catering Today. We bring you the latest on what’s happening in the restaurants, bars and catering industry, with exclusive stories, analysis, best practice and industry comment.

Oct- 2021 -

25 October

Over 200 CEOs sign letter urging chancellor to permanently keep 12.5% VAT

Over 200 chief executives of the UK pubs, bars, restaurants, cafés, hotels, leisure parks, nightclubs, entertainment venues, and visitor attractions have signed a letter to the chancellor urging for a permanent cut to VAT. Ahead of his Budget next Wednesday (27 October), industry leaders have called for a permanent reduced…
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7 October

UKH calls for lower VAT rate in new campaign

UK Hospitality has announced a new campaign #VATsEnough which is aimed at calling on the Chancellor Rishi Sunak to make the 12.5% VAT rate permanent for hospitality and tourism. While the Treasury’s decision last year to reduce VAT for these sectors helped many venues survive the crisis, under current plans…
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1 October

UK trade bodies call for lower rate of VAT, amid 12.5% rise

UK Hospitality alongside other trade associations have joined forces to call on the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, to introduce a permanent lower rate of VAT. Under treasury plans, hospitality and tourism VAT is expected to rise to 12.5% from today (1 October) and will return to its pre-pandemic level of 20%…
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Sep- 2021 -

13 September

UKH welcomes extension to debt protections

UKHospitality has welcomed the Government’s extension of debt protections to tenants announced on 10 September. The body claimed that the additional protections for non-rent debts will provide “breathing space” for hospitality operators to negotiate with suppliers. Moreover, the measures are deemed to provide time to find an “appropriate arbitration mechanism…
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Aug- 2021 -

25 August

UKH and BII call for further business rates reform

UKHospitality (UKH) and the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) have combined to urge the Government to introduce business rates reform. The trade bodies together welcomed the opportunity to comment on the business rates revaluations consultation, and supported the notion to increase revaluations to every three years. However, they claimed that…
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24 August

National Pubwatch partners with Best Bar None to help licensees

National Pubwatch has announced a new partnership with Best Bar None, the Home Office backed accreditation scheme for licensed premises, to support licensees and independent operators to reduce “alcohol-related crime” and meet their obligations under the Licensing Act. It comes as the late-night market has now reopened after being closed…
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23 August

Hospitality sector still struggling despite customers’ return to venues, UKH warns

Despite 56% of consumers returning to hospitality venues in the first 10 days after ‘Freedom Day’ last month, compared with 35% in 2020, thousands of businesses are still struggling compared to pre-pandemic, according to the latest UK Hospitality survey. A survey by the group found that it took over six…
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13 August

Hospitality contributed to 40% of Q1 to Q2 economic growth, says UKH

The hospitality industry reportedly contributed to 40% of the UK’s total economic growth between Q1 and Q2 2021. The figure comes from the latest UKHospitality Quarterly Tracker, produced by CGA, which followed ONS data revealing the UK GDP to have grown 4.8% in June. Kate Nicholls, chief executive at UKH,…
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Jul- 2021 -

30 July

Hospitality businesses miss out on £100.2bn in sales due to Covid

Hospitality businesses have suffered a £100.2bn drop in sales from pre-pandemic levels in the 15 months since the start of the pandemic, according to the latest edition of the UKHospitality Quarterly Tracker with CGA. Prolonged closures and trading restrictions have both limited total sector sales in the 12 months to…
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27 July

Unichef campaigns to get emergency asthma kits in kitchens

Unichef, the national union for chefs, has launched a campaign calling for emergency asthma kits (Salbutamol inhalers) to be a requirement in commercial kitchens following the death of 19-year-old Lauren Reid last year. In February 2020, Reid, who was a nearly qualified chef, set out for her shift in her…
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