Editor’s Viewpoint: JUNE 2025 – The Results Are In

By Peter Adams, Editor, CLH News.

So, following April’s tax hikes the “results are in”.

A third of hospitality businesses are running at a loss following the Chancellor’s April tax hikes, according to a new survey of UK trade bodies.

I’m shocked. Absolutely stunned. Who could have possibly seen that coming?

Well, aside from the entire sector, of course. And anyone who’s ever run a pub, café, restaurant, or hotel. And probably your gran. But apart from that — no one! Except, obviously, those in government, who seem surprised every time their own policies ignite a fire and then pretend they don’t smell smoke.

“Speaking plainly”, as someone who has not only reported on this sector but lived and breathed it.

I’ve “walked the walk” — as so many of our readers have. I’ve lain awake at 3am doing mental gymnastics over payroll, suppliers, staff issues, and the next VAT payment. It was never easy.

Rewarding, yes. But never easy. But now?

Now, our front page story speaks for itself.

The sector has just about begun clawing its way back from the chaos of lockdowns and those infamous “tiered” restrictions (which no one, not even those implementing them, seemed to understand). And who can forget the pure farce of mask-on-to-loo, mask-off-to-eat policies? A piece of health theatre so baffling it’s now the stuff of stand-up routines.

After enduring all that, just as we see a fragile return to pre-COVID turnover, what do we get? A Chancellor, with zero hands-on business experience, slapping us with a cool £3.4 billion in additional costs. Bravo.

A favourite quote of mine — and one that has aged like fine wine — is from Ayn Rand:
“You can ignore reality, but you cannot ignore the consequences of ignoring reality.”

Well, the reality is this: businesses are closing, jobs are being lost, and tax revenues will ultimately fall, not rise.

And then, ironically, more taxpayer money will need to be spent supporting those laid off. That’s not economics. That’s political self-harm.

But it’s not all gloom. I was pleased to attend the Pub Code Adjudicator’s annual review earlier this week, where results from the 2025 Tied Tenants Survey were presented.

Encouragingly, tenant awareness of their rights under the Pubs Code has gone up — a sign that the Code is beginning to gain real traction. The report also shows a rise in confidence in dealings with pub companies, though clearly there is more work to be done.

You can read more on the PCA survey and our full coverage here. It’s rare these days that I get to point readers towards a story with a more positive slant, so I’ll take the win — no matter how small.

Well done to all those still out there fighting the good fight. The resilience of this sector never ceases to amaze. But for policymakers: it’s time to ditch the headline-chasing, optics-driven decision-making and start listening to those who have actually stood behind a bar, changed a keg, or tried to balance a spreadsheet with 20% inflation on every line item.

Because one thing is certain — if the current trajectory continues, there’ll be a lot fewer businesses left to tax next April.

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I can always be contacted at edit@catererlicensee.com