Kate Nicholls
This archive features our reporting on Kate Nicholls OBE — a key voice in the UK’s hospitality and foodservice policy landscape. As Chair of UKHospitality, Nicholls plays a central role in lobbying government, shaping regulation, and influencing the commercial environment in which restaurants, pubs, bars, cafés, and catering firms operate. Catering Today covers Nicholls’ statements, policy positions, and leadership activity because her work directly affects the trading conditions, labour challenges, and long-term resilience of foodservice businesses. For operators navigating rising costs, staffing pressures, or post-pandemic recovery, her advocacy and insights are both timely and consequential.
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Apr- 2022 -1 AprilGovernment
VAT rise to result in double-digit price increases, UKH warns
VAT in hospitality will rise from 12.5% to 20% on 1 April 2022, which UKH said “will result in double-digit price increases for consumers as operators struggle to survive” as the sector is forecasting cost inflation running at 18%. Recent business surveys show the industry is facing a 95% hike…
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Mar- 2022 -30 MarchPubs and Bars
Hospitality welcomes extended Platinum Jubilee licensing hours
The hospitality sector has welcomed the government’s confirmation that licenced premises will be able to extend their opening hours to 1am on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings of the special bank holiday weekend (2 to 5 June). UKHospitality applauded the temporary change in licensing rules for England and Wales,…
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29 MarchFeatures
The need to do more: hospitality rallies in aid of Ukrainian refugees
The United Nations disclosed that more than three million people have fled Ukraine in search of safety with “most” residing in neighbouring EU countries. Nearly two million Ukrainians have settled in Poland and the EU has granted those fleeing the war a “blanket-right” to stay and work throughout the 27…
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24 MarchGovernment
Return to 20% VAT a ‘massive missed opportunity’, UKH says
A return to 20% VAT for the hospitality and tourism industry will be met with disappointment by thousands of hospitality businesses, UKHospitality has said. In addition, UKH has said that ending the 12.5% rate for hospitality would “jeopardise jobs and restrict the sector’s efforts to stifle price rises for consumers,…
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21 MarchPubs and Bars
MPs call for end of ‘draconian’ pub tax
The All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group (APPBG) of MPs has released a new report which calls on the Government to “urgently address the business rate iniquity which is threatening the future of pubs and their communities while online giants continue to swerve the taxman”. The report, ‘Levelling the Bar: reforming outdated…
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17 MarchGovernment
Parliamentary inquiry recommends VAT remains at 12.5%
An inquiry by a group of MPs has recommended that VAT for the hospitality and tourism sectors stays at 12.5% beyond March. The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Hospitality and Tourism, concluded that VAT should not return to 20% this April, citing UKHospitality data revealing that the lower rate…
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16 MarchRestaurants
UKH welcome ‘positive news’ from ONS figures, but warn industry ‘remains fragile’
UKH has said the latest figures from ONS are “positive news” for the industry, after it reported that jobs in the hospitality sector are up 252,000 in the last 12 months, and unemployment has dropped to 4%, below pre-pandemic levels. However, it warned that the sector “remains fragile”, and renewed…
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10 MarchTrade Associations
UK public support maintaining 12.5% VAT, UKH says
There is strong support amongst the public for VAT to remain at its current rate of 12.5% beyond April, according to a new study by YouGov commissioned by UKHospitality. Excluding those who didn’t give a view, only 21% believed the Government should stick with its current plan to increase VAT…
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Feb- 2022 -24 FebruaryGovernment
Gov must help hospitality move away from single-use plastics, says UKH
UKHospitality has said it has called on the Government to support hospitality businesses as they move away from single-use plastics, ahead of a proposed ban next year. The trade body said it is backing a planned April 2023 ban on single-use plastics, but wants to see government support as the…
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18 FebruaryCoronavirus
Hospitality suffers £115bn loss amid Covid damage
The hospitality industry has suffered a £115bn loss over the last two years due to Covid-19 as the sector was “hit first and hit hardest” by the pandemic, UKHospitality has said. According to its data, the sector has racked-up a loss of £114.8bn sales compared to what was expected for…
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