Business Rates
We provide essential coverage of business rates policy and reform, and how it impacts operators across the UK foodservice and hospitality sector. From government relief schemes and revaluation updates to lobbying efforts led by UKHospitality and industry coalitions, this captures the key developments influencing site viability and cost pressures. Whether you run a single high-street restaurant or oversee a multi-site pub or catering group, we explain how changes to the business rates system affect your bottom line, and what you need to know to plan ahead.
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Sep- 2025 -2 SeptemberPubs and Bars
Heston Blumenthal calls for more gov action to save British pubs
Chef Heston Blumenthal has urged government and licensees to act to halt the closure of pubs across the UK, warning that the “Great British pub” is under threat from rising costs and changing social habits. More than one pub a day closed in the first half of 2025, according to…
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Aug- 2025 -26 AugustPubs and Bars
One in four UK late-night venues has closed since 2020, NTIA warns
The UK has lost nearly 800 late-night venues since 2020, raising concerns over the future of the country’s night-time economy, according to new data from the latest Night Time Economy Monitor. The report, compiled by the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) and CGA by NIQ, show the sector has contracted…
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26 AugustBusiness
Hospitality jobs account for 53% of post-Budget losses, UKH finds
Hospitality has accounted for more than half of all job losses in the UK since the Budget last October, according to new analysis by trade body UKHospitality. Of the 164,641 jobs lost nationwide since the Budget, 88,964 were in hospitality. The figures, based on data from the Office for National…
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22 AugustFood and Drink
Hospitality confidence grows in Q2 despite financial strain
Some 40% of Britain’s hospitality leaders grew more optimistic about their business prospects over the next 12 months, despite rising costs continuing to erode profits and threaten jobs, according to the latest Business Confidence survey from CGA by NIQ and Sona. The survey, which covers the second quarter of 2025,…
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21 AugustFeatures
Ebb and flow or terminal decline: the state of summer hospitality jobs
For generations, the “Great British summer job” has been a rite of passage. Students pulling pints in pub gardens, teenagers serving fish and chips on the pier, and young workers scooping ice creams at busy seaside resorts all became part of the seasonal rhythm of hospitality. These short-term roles give…
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20 AugustTrade Associations
Hospitality operating at 85% capacity, UKH finds
Almost 70% of businesses are operating at less than 85% of capacity according to a new survey from members of the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII), the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), UKHospitality and Hospitality Ulster. According to the poll, tax rises have forced businesses to dramatically cut their…
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20 AugustPubs and Bars
Industry urges tax reform as over 200 pubs close in six months
More than 200 pubs in England and Wales were demolished or converted for other uses in the first half of 2025, according to new government figures. An average of eight pubs closed each week between January and June, with the South East experiencing the sharpest decline – losing 31 venues…
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11 AugustPeople
Chris Wayne-Wills steps down as UKHospitality Scotland chair
UKHospitality Scotland chair Chris Wayne-Wills has stepped down after a little over three years in the role. During his tenure, he oversaw the creation of a Scottish advisory group of industry leaders, introduced a new members’ forum format and expanded the organisation’s programme of well-attended member events. Wayne-Wills also met…
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5 AugustBusiness
Hospitality sector has shrunk by 14.2% since March 2020, CGA finds
The hospitality sector is 14.2% smaller in August 2025 than it was in March 2020 before the first covid lockdown, according to data from CGA and Alix Partners. It comes as the sector has seen 62 net closures per month, or two a day since the beginning of the year.…
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Jul- 2025 -28 JulyGovernment
Govt to fast-track new cafes and bars with planning reforms
The government has announced that cafes, bars and music venues could soon replace empty shops under its new plans to relax licensing and planning rules, in a bid to revive town centres. The reforms, which were announced on Sunday (27 July), will form part of the forthcoming Small Business Plan,…
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