‘Not all sunlit uplands’: Pub bosses weigh in on whether Brexit leaves a bitter taste Hospitality 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 [...]
Would a £10bn VAT cut really save hospitality? Hospitality Calls for the government to slash VAT on hospitality firms have been backed by pub and restaurant bosses, and Prime Minister hopeful Andy Burnham. What would this tax break really mean for the economy? The UK’s pubs, hotels and restaurants say they are at breaking point. Higher business rates, hikes to national insurance and minimum [...]
Hospitality leaders ramp up pressure on Labour to slash VAT Hospitality Leaders of top hospitality firms have ramped up pressure on Labour to slash VAT, which they warn is leading to hundreds of thousands of job losses. Pub chains JD Wetherspoon, Fuller’s and Greene King, as well as hotel giant Hilton and Mexican restaurant chain Wahaca, have thrown their weight behind a campaign to cut Value [...]
Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin clashes with Ryanair over airport breakfast booze May 7, 2026 The boss of JD Wetherspoon has clashed with the chief of budget airline Rynair over calls for airports to crack down on early morning drinking. Tim Martin, chair of the UK’s best-known pub chain, has said regulating alcohol consumption at airports is a “Big Brother” approach which could lead to passengers being breathalysed. Ryanair boss [...]
Wetherspoon issues profit warning over ‘substantial’ cost hikes May 6, 2026 JD Wetherspoon has warned it could miss profit targets over “substantial increases in costs,” as pubs brace for soaring energy and shipping prices due to the Iran war. The UK’s best-known pub chain confirmed on Tuesday that the much-feared knock-on effects from the blockage to the Strait of Hormuz have begun to hit hospitality firms. [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks jump; oil dips below $100 as Trump says Iran deal close May 6, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Brent crude dipped below $100 at Wednesday lunchtime after Donald Trump has hailed “great progress” towards a “final agreement” with Iran, prompting a rally in the FTSE, Asian markets and Wall Street. In a sudden reversal late last night, President Trump said he will pause [...]
Where is London’s cheapest pint? March 25, 2026 Drawn out of the office and into the City’s pubs by the springtime sun, Square Mile workers will face a bitter taste when they pay for their pints. The City of London is one of the 28 London boroughs where the cost of a pint has surged over the past two years, with the price [...]
Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin hits back at Miliband ‘warm beer’ advice March 20, 2026 The boss of the UK’s best-known pub chain has hit back at Ed Miliband after he issued guidance which sparked concerns that pubs will have to serve warmer beer to keep energy bills down. Tim Martin, chairman of JD Wetherspoon, told City AM pubs will be swiftly overtaken by supermarkets if they opt to cut [...]
Wetherspoon shares tumble as profit disappoints March 20, 2026 Shares in the country’s best-known pub chain have tumbled after profit failed to meet expectations even after they were downgraded. Pre-tax profit at JD Wetherspoon fell by 32 per cent to £22m for the first half of this year, and operating profit fell 18 per cent to £53m, below analyst expectations of an eight per [...]
Greene King to put 150 pubs on chopping block March 18, 2026 Pubs giant Greene King is considering selling 150 of its pubs and offloading dozens more to franchisees, as its managing director quits. The pub operator, which has 2,500 premises in the UK, has said it will put around 300 of its managed pubs into a separate unit – with 150 of these intended for sale [...]