Independent restaurants, pubs, bars and cafés are being squeezed by rising rent, soaring energy bills, heavier tax burdens, increased National Insurance, and a customer base unable to absorb further price rises. A UKHospitality survey shows one-third of hospitality businesses now operate at a loss and many have been forced to raise prices. Operators face closures, redundancies, and market consolidation benefiting large firms with deep pockets. Hospitality employs millions and is a major economic contributor. Urgent fiscal and sector-specific measures—such as tax relief, business rate reform, targeted energy support, and policies to stimulate spending—are required to preserve jobs and community venues.
We know that, in a world facing ongoing global conflicts and crises, highlighting the challenges of hospitality may seem secondary. But the reality is stark: costs continue to rise while consumers are unable to afford higher prices. Operators are trapped in an unsustainable position, leading to closures, job losses and real risks to one of the UK's most vital industries. Hospitality is not a luxury. It is the UK's third-largest employer and a critical driver of the economy.
Already razor-thin margins for operators are dissolving into nothing. Rising rent and energy costs, hefty tax burdens, a customer base grappling with a cost-of-living crisis, and higher wage bills - as a result of the increased National Insurance contributions introduced in the last Budget - have created a perfect storm, one that only those with the deepest pockets can ride out.
We are a group of chefs, hospitality professionals, and journalists witnessing restaurants, bars, pubs, and cafés in London - and across the rest of the UK - being squeezed out of existence. The hospitality industry is an integral part of all our lives. We've built careers in kitchens, marked milestones in restaurants, and fallen in love in pubs. We're not prepared to stand by and watch it wither.
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