‘Dwarfed by other costs’ – Why cutting business rates for pubs won’t save the sector Hospitality Andy Burnham has unveiled his long-awaited support for the UK’s struggling pubs, but the hospitality industry is contending with far more pressures than just business rates Andy Burnham’s pledge to cut business rates for pubs, clubs and music venues is expected to save each venue more than £1,000 next year in a move that comes [...]
‘Ever-widening gap’: Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin urges Burnham to cut more pub taxes Hospitality JD Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin has called on the Prime Minister to go further to reduce the soaring tax burden faced by pubs. The chairman of the UK’s best-known pub chain said Burnham’s decision to slash business rates for pubs is an “implicit recognition that the hospitality sector is over taxed”. The Prime Minister announced [...]
Wetherspoon shares dive as pub chain warns on profit again Hospitality JD Wetherspoon shares slumped after it issued its fourth profit warning this year, as the pub chain grapples with surging food and energy costs and a rising business rates bill. Tim Martin, founder and chairman of the UK’s best-known pub chain, said: “Profits for the year are likely to be below market expectations, with marginally [...]
The Debate: Should airports ban early-morning pints? May 13, 2026 Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has had enough of drunkards on flights, but is banning 5am airport pints the answer? We hear both sides.
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. [...]
Inside the Wetherpoons pub with great Tower of London views April 22, 2026 Certainly not the most discerning watering hole in the Square Mile, Wetherspoons is nonetheless an institution. No matter what you think of it, it’s hard to argue that it doesn’t offer incredible value for money. Here’s a look inside The Liberty Bounds, one of the lesser-known Wetherspoons pubs frequented by City folk. WHAT’S THE VIBE?This [...]
Here’s the most beautiful Wetherspoons pub in London March 25, 2026 SAY WHAT YOU WANT ABOUT WETHERSPOONS…I tend to find putting my morals in the cupboard for the sake of a trip there works out fairly well. Sure, founder Tim Martin’s political views may have cleared liberals out of his pubs quicker than Theresa May’s moves emptied the dancefloor, but it would take a hell of [...]
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 boss backs Reform pub package – and defends dog policy February 9, 2026 Sir Tim Martin, chairman of JD Wetherspoon, has called on hospitality firms to back Reform’s proposed pub support package, arguing it would “utterly transform” the landscape for pubs. In a stock exchange release, Martin said Reform’s proposals would offer pubs “tax parity” with supermarkets. “By eliminating the tax differential between supermarkets and the hospitality industry, [...]
Wetherspoon shares sink after business rates knock profit January 21, 2026 Wetherspoon shares slumped on Wednesday after the pub giant laid bare the scale of the financial hit from November’s tax-raising Budget. The FTSE 250 member said cost rises across energy, wages, repairs and business rates had put up costs by a staggering £45m in the 25 weeks to mid-January. That would imply a cost rise [...]