155 hospitality bosses sign letter to chancellor ahead of Spring Budget

The bosses of 155 hospitality businesses, including IHG Hotels & Resorts and JD Wetherspoon, have signed an open letter urging the chancellor to “unshackle” the sector ahead of the Spring Budget.

The letter was organised by trade body UKHospitality and represents the concerns of leading brands in the industry, as well as single-site operators of leisure parks and local pubs, as businesses prepare for next week’s budget announcement (15 March).

Signatories warned of ongoing inflation and debt pressures, as well as fears over the reduction in government energy support starting from April.

They have urged the chancellor to invest in the industry’s workers through Apprenticeship Levy reform; invest in its places through licensing and planning reform; and invest in its growth by upgrading the business rates system.

The business leaders wrote: “These measures would unshackle the inflation and debt pressures that are holding back growth in our sector, warding off the spectre of further business failures and job losses.

“We urge the chancellor not to miss this crucial opportunity to unleash the potential of hospitality to deliver the positive economic benefits across the nation.”

They emphasised that “hospitality can be part of the solution to inflation”.

Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, added: “I hope the collective voice of hospitality is enough to convince the chancellor that his actions on 15 March will, quite literally, be make or break for many venues across the country.”

The letter can be accessed here and the full list of signatories are below:

• Aberdeen City & Shire Hotels Association
• Advocate Pub and Hotel Group
• All Our Bars
• Anderbury Hotels
• Angels Share Hotel
• Anglian Country Inns
• Artfarm
• Avantriq Ltd
• British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions
• Barnsley House hotel
• Beer and Buns
• Bibi's restaurant
• Bistrot Pierre
• BM Caterers
• Boodles
• Bourne Leisure
• Brasserie Bar Co
• Breworks Tradeco
• Browns Cafe
• BWH Hotel Group GB
• Centenary Lounge
• CG Restaurants and Bars
• CH&Co
• Champany Inn
• Cherwell Boathouse
• Clarendon Hotel
• Clermont Hotel Group
• Congham Hall
• Containment
• Country Castle Hotels and Rural Hotels
• Country Inns Southern
• Cow and Apple
• Crerar Hotel Group
• Crieff Hydro hotel
• Croeso Pubs
• Davy's
• Edinburgh Hotel Association
• Elior UK
• Escape Ipswich
• EUROC
• Exclusive Collection
• Exmoor Character Cottages
• Forester's Cottage Holiday Accommodation
• Foundation Group
• Fox Connaught
• G C Mallen & Co
• Gascon Connection
• Georgian House hotel
• GIM Property Ltd
• Glasshouse Cleethorpes Limited
• Glendola Leisure Group
• Gough Hotels
• Graylands Cottage
• Gusto Pronto
• Hambleton Hall, Hart Hambleton, Hambleton Bakery
• Harbour Hotels
• Headlam Leisure
• Hilton Garden Inn Sunderland
• Hilton UK & Ireland
• Historic Sussex Hotels
• Hotels, Restaurants and Leisure
• HWS
• Hyatt International
• IHG Hotels & Resorts
• Imperial Hotel
• JD Wetherspoon
• Jessen & Co
• Kazbar
• Keavil House hotel
• Knockomie Inn – Forres
• La Gaffe Restaurant and Accommodation
• Le Monde
• Lime Wood Group and Home Grown Hotels
• Livelyhood
• Llandudno Hospitality Association
• Loch Melfort Hotel
• Longdown Activity Farm
• Lordleaze Hotel
• Marston's PLC
• Masala Zone
• Maverick Venue Management
• Milsom Hotels and Restaurants
• Mitchells & Butlers
• MW Eat
• Neds Noodle Bar
• New Forest Cottages
• North Shore Hotel and Golf Club
• Oxford and Cambridge Club
• Parkdean Resorts
• Paultons Park
• Penta Hotels
• Pho
• Pipe & Glass
• Place Hotels
• Pub People Company
• QIA Services
• Rare Restaurants
• Red Shoot Camping Park
• Reform Club
• Rekom UK
• Rosa's Thai
• Rosedale Bed and Breakfast
• Rothay Manor Boutique Hotel and Restaurant
• Royal Lancaster
• Rufflets St Andrews
• Sanzio Restaurant
• Sidmouth Hotels & Inn
• Snowdonia Hospitality & Lesiure
• Southern Wind Group
• St Austell Brewery
• St Brides Spa Hotel and On the Shore Restaurant
• St. John Group
• Stem & Glory
• Tafarn y Nant
• Tapa Tapa
• The Bath Pub Company
• The Big Table Group (Banana Tree, Bella Italia, Café Rouge, Las Iguanas)
• The Blakeney hotel
• The Cottage Hotel Hope Cove
• The Dorchester
• The Fox Pub
• The Hollies hotel
• The India Collection
• The Inn at Whitewell
• The Inn Collection Group
• The Lismoyne hotel
• The Lovat Loch Ness
• The Queensberry hotel and Olive Tree restaurant
• The Restaurant Group PLC (Chiquito, Frankie & Benny’s, Wagamama’s)
• The Savoy
• The Ship
• The Torridon
• The Vineyard Group
• The Wellbeing Farm
• Thorley Taverns
• TLH Leisure Resort
• Town Centre Inns
• UKHospitality
• Underscar
• Vacherin
• Valiant Pub Company
• Vapiano
• Vicarious Pub Company
• Victorian House hotel
• Wahaca
• Weir Inns
• Weston Park Foundation
• WH Pubs
• Wivenhoe House hotel
• Woodhouse Hotel Largs
• WSH
• WT Hotels
• Yeovil Chamber of Commerce
• Yeovil College
• Young & Co Brewery