Pint prices to rise as Healey hikes beer duty Hospitality The price of a pint is set to rise by 2p after John Healey announced plans to hike beer duty, saddling pubs with more costs despite a commitment to cut their business rates. The Chancellor said alcohol duty, which is charged on every pint sold, will rise in line with Retail Prices Index (RPI) inflation, [...]
John Healey is a beer man. Does this spell good news for pubs? Hospitality Geoffrey Howe sipped a gin and tonic, Nigel Lawson quaffed a wine spritzer, while George Osborne and Gordon Brown stuck to mineral water. Ahead of his first Budget, one of the many decisions weighing on Chancellor John Healey’s mind will be whether to get a little squiffy at the despatch box. If he does, it [...]
One pub shuts every day as Burnham tax cuts ‘not enough’ Hospitality A pub is set to have closed its doors every day this year, as hospitality leaders say Andy Burnham’s tax cuts for hospitality have not gone far enough. About 360 pubs are expected to have called last orders in the whole of 2026, with 295 watering holes having shut for good so far this year, [...]
‘Not all sunlit uplands’: Pub bosses weigh in on whether Brexit leaves a bitter taste June 23, 2026 A decade on from the referendum, has Brexit left a bitter taste? The bosses of the UK’s biggest pub firms have their say Notoriously outspoken, the bosses of the UK’s leading pub brands are usually shouting about the same thing: the tax and regulatory burden threatening watering holes across the country. But, on the anniversary [...]
Family-owned Tottenham brewer falls into administration as industry pressures mount May 28, 2026 A beloved family-owned Tottenham brewery that was a key player in London’s craft beer renaissance has fallen into administration amidst mounting cost pressures on the industry. Redemption Brewing Company, which was the first commercial brewery to open in Tottenham in nearly 100 years, is officially listed on the formal register of new insolvency appointments as [...]
Virgin wines looks to Gen-Z wine-lovers for growth after suffering loss March 17, 2026 Online retailer Virgin Wines turned a loss but remains confident a surge of Gen-Z drinkers who no longer view wine as “elitist” will push the firm into the black. The wine seller made a £400k pre-tax loss in the first half of the year, down from a £1.3m profit last year, but saw revenue grow [...]
Majestic Wine blames Reeves’ tax hikes as profit slashed January 7, 2026 Majestic Wine has blamed Rachel Reeves and her tax policies for its profit almost slashing in half during its latest financial year. The Watford-based business said the “economic environment became more challenging” during the 12 months to 31 March, 2025, especially after the general election and the Chancellor’s first Budget. The chain added that these [...]
Rachel Reeves mulls second booze tax hike November 12, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves is considering an increase in taxes on alcohol in line with a higher reading of inflation in a repeat of last year’s Budget, according to reports. Reeves could hike duties by the retail prices index (RPI) inflation rate in a bid to raise more cash to fill an estimated £30bn fiscal hole [...]
Virgin Wines blames government for inflationary cost pressures October 22, 2025 Virgin Wines has said most of its cost pressures this year have been driven by government policy, including an alcohol duty revamp and a bottle tax. The online wine seller told markets that profit before tax dipped by five per cent to £1.6m in the 2025 financial year, despite flat revenue. CEO Jay Wright pointed [...]
Keir Starmer vows to cut red tape for pubs to ‘bring the buzz back’ to high streets October 9, 2025 Keir Starmer has vowed to cut red tape for pubs in a bid to revitalise the ailing hospitality industry following a spate of venue closures. The prime minister has unveiled a four-week “blitz” survey of landlords, customers and neighbours, in a review expected to result in a bonfire of old licensing rules, amid fears some [...]