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.
-
Aug- 2025 -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…
Read More » -
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…
Read More » -
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.…
Read More » -
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,…
Read More » -
28 JulyBusiness
UKH warns of sharp fall in summer job vacancies
The sharp drop in hospitality job vacancies this summer has prompted warnings from UKHospitality that the “great British summer job” may be under threat. Allen Simpson, chief executive of UKH, blamed rising costs for “less employment, less opportunity and less growth in the economy”. Simpson said: “Unless the government acts,…
Read More » -
17 JulyBusiness
Hospitality hit hardest by job losses, ONS data shows
Hospitality has been the hardest hit sector of the economy since the Budget, accounting for nearly half (45%) of all job losses, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. The data shows that hospitality has now lost 84,000 jobs since the budget, an increase of 13,000 job losses…
Read More » -
15 JulyPubs and Bars
Rates change could free millions for growth, Greene King finds
Greene King has called on the government to overhaul business rates in the Autumn Budget, claiming its proposals could release £13.7m for investment in its pubs and communities. It comes as the pub company published a report earlier this week that set out the financial pressures facing the sector, including…
Read More » -
11 JulyBusiness
UKH calls upward-only rent review ban a ‘significant win’
UKHospitality has hailed a “significant win” after it was revealed that The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill will include a commitment to ban upward-only rent review clauses in commercial leases. UKHospitality has been calling for a ban on upward-only rent reviews since the turn of the century. Upward-only rent…
Read More » -
11 JulyPubs and Bars
Britain faces a pub closure every day in 2025, industry warns
One pub is expected to close every day in 2025 across Great Britain, threatening more than 5,600 jobs, the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has warned. The trade body, which represents more than 20,000 pubs, estimated 378 closures this year in England, Wales and Scotland, up from 350 in…
Read More » -
8 JulyFeatures
Brace for impact: how hospitality must prepare for the Employment Rights Bill
The government has set a phased timeline for rolling out changes under the Employment Rights Bill. The most complex reforms, including guaranteed hours and enhanced protections from unfair dismissal, will not take effect until 2027. Before then, employers will face a series of earlier reforms. From April 2026, new rules…
Read More »
