“VAT’S THE PROBLEM”: Hospitality Operator Puts Its Message On Every Staff Shirt

A hospitality operator has taken its support for a lower VAT rate off the picket line and onto the shop floor — literally stitching the message into its staff uniforms.

Greedy Gordon’s has unveiled new workwear carrying the slogan “VAT’S THE PROBLEM” across the back, in a move the business says is not a marketing gimmick but a statement of survival. The operator says every member of staff will now wear the message daily, arguing that hospitality needs a permanent 10% VAT rate to remain viable.

In a social media post announcing the uniform, the business framed the issue in stark terms, asking whether it would still be trading this time next year, and describing the campaign as being about protecting jobs, supporting British farmers, fishermen and suppliers, and keeping independent pubs and restaurants serving their communities.

Greedy Gordon’s said it was proud to stand alongside the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) and Punch Pubs & Co, among thousands of other hospitality businesses, in calling for the change, and urged others in the trade and the public to add their name to the campaign petition.

The move comes as the #VATsTheProblem campaign, spearheaded by chef Tom Kerridge and backed by trade bodies including UKHospitality, the British Beer and Pub Association, the BII, CODE Hospitality and Hospitality Ulster, continues to gather momentum, with the petition recently passing 300,000 signatures.

The campaign argues that the UK’s 20% VAT rate for hospitality is among the highest in Europe, well above rates of 10% in France, Spain and Italy, and 7% in Germany, and is calling on government to bring the UK into line with a 10% rate for the sector.

Sector research conducted by UKHospitality, the BBPA, the BII and Hospitality Ulster has pointed to mounting financial strain across the trade, with a majority of operators surveyed citing VAT, food and drink inflation, and rising staffing costs — driven by increases to the National Minimum Wage and employer National Insurance Contributions — as the biggest challenges they currently face.

Some surveys conducted as part of the campaign have suggested that as many as one in six hospitality businesses believe they are at risk of closure within the next year.

What sets Greedy Gordon’s approach apart is its decision to make the campaign visible to every customer, every day, through its front-of-house teams — rather than confining it to social media posts or trade press coverage.

By putting the slogan on staff uniforms, the operator is betting that direct, repeated visibility to the public will help keep pressure on government where petitions and open letters alone may not.
Operators considering similar action may find it a low-cost way to engage customers directly in the debate, turning everyday service interactions into moments of visibility for a cause that campaigners argue affects the whole hospitality supply chain, from producers and suppliers through to the businesses and staff who serve customers on the high street.

Hospitality operators wishing to add their support to the campaign can sign the petition via VAT’S The Problem campaign page.