Top UK chefs call for cutting VAT for pubs and restaurants to 10%
Tom Kerridge, Yotam Ottolenghi, Ravneet Gill and Simon Rogan told BBC Newsnight VAT should be halved to ease mounting pressure on the hospitality industry.
By BBC News
A group of leading chefs says cutting VAT to 10% could give pubs, cafés and restaurants more breathing room as costs continue to rise.
eading UK chefs and restaurant owners have called for VAT on pubs, cafés and restaurants to be cut from 20% to 10% as hospitality businesses face mounting pressure.
Tom Kerridge, Yotam Ottolenghi, Ravneet Gill and Simon Rogan told BBC Newsnight that the current tax burden is making it harder for many venues to survive.
Their warning comes after a difficult period for the hospitality industry, with businesses dealing with higher energy bills, increased staffing costs, business rates, food inflation and customers spending more carefully.
For Cheshire, the issue is particularly relevant to town centres where independent cafés, pubs and restaurants help support local jobs and evening trade.
Hospitality venues are often among the most visible businesses on high streets in places such as Chester, Crewe, Macclesfield, Northwich, Wilmslow and Nantwich. When costs rise, many face difficult choices over prices, opening hours, staffing and whether to continue trading.
The chefs argue that reducing VAT to 10% would bring the UK closer to rates seen in parts of Europe and give hospitality businesses more room to absorb rising costs.
VAT is charged on many goods and services, including food and drink sold in pubs and restaurants. The standard rate in the UK is currently 20%.
Industry body UK Hospitality has repeatedly called for a lower VAT rate for the sector, arguing that the current system leaves venues under pressure even when they appear busy.
According to the BBC report, UK Hospitality says three hospitality businesses have closed every day since the start of 2026.
Simon Rogan, whose restaurants include L’Enclume in Cumbria, warned that many operators are not making meaningful profits and are simply trying to keep going.
Tom Kerridge also criticised the overall tax burden on hospitality businesses, saying the Government was getting taxation “very, very wrong”.
Yotam Ottolenghi said the situation was “crippling” not only for restaurant groups but also for bakeries, cafés and pubs.
The pressure on hospitality is not only a problem for business owners. If more venues close, town centres can lose footfall, jobs and places where people meet socially.
For customers, the effect can also be felt through higher menu prices, reduced opening days or fewer independent venues to choose from.
The Government has acknowledged that businesses are being asked to contribute more, but ministers have also pointed to the wider pressure on public finances.
Cabinet minister Pat McFadden told the BBC that the Chancellor has to weigh tax-cut demands against other spending pressures.
For Cheshire hospitality businesses, the debate is likely to continue as operators prepare for the summer trading period while still facing high running costs.
A VAT cut would not solve every challenge facing the sector, but supporters argue it would give pubs, restaurants and cafés more breathing room at a time when margins remain tight.