Since the start of the year, we’ve seen a new Government take control, we’ve found a local champion in Luke Littler , we’ve finally got to attend gigs at Co-op Live , and we’ve even found time to celebrate England getting to the Euro 2024 final in quite rowdy fashion. But in the same span of almost eight months, those working in the hospitality sector have also had to face a slew of challenges. In addition to the cost of living crisis and the continued impact of Brexit, it was announced back in March that the then-Government’s Spring Budget would not, as it had been hoped, include VAT cuts and business rate caps to help the industry.
Whilst the Budget did include a freeze on alcohol duty for a year, the pleas for VAT to be cut down to 12.5% from the current 20% level were ignored. At the time, pub operator and brewer JW Lees said that whilst the beer duty would save the industry a reported £171m, it still faced a 'cliff edge' of 'spiralling wage costs and business rates increases'.
READ MORE: Bolton Food and Drink Festival 2024: Huge event features rum parties with Ainsley Harriott, James Martin cooking demos and Dave Myers tribute Tom McNeeney, Head Chef at The Oxford Pub in Rochdale , previously told the M.E.N that it felt like a ‘terrifying’ time for the industry, with some of the city’s leading chefs and restaurants having to make the difficult decision to shut up shop.
This year alone, Greater Manchester has seen the closure of restaurants, bars, and ven.