Hospitality businesses, employees and industry organisations are being urged to get behind a new nationwide campaign calling on the Government to cut VAT for the sector to 10% — a move that would bring the UK in line with many European countries.
Led by chef Tom Kerridge, #VATsTheProblem is a sector-wide initiative bringing together hospitality teams, high-profile chefs, trade bodies and industry organisations with a single goal: to secure a reduction in VAT to 10%. The campaign is also calling on the entire industry to support a new petition aiming to reach one million signatures.
Backing for the campaign is already building, with major industry bodies including UKHospitality, the British Beer and Pub Association, the British Institute of Innkeeping and CODE Hospitality lending their support.
The campaign officially launches to consumers on 1 July, but in the run-up, Kerridge is encouraging businesses across the sector to act now—spreading the message and driving as many petition sign-ups as possible ahead of the public rollout.
For hospitality operators looking to get involved, the ask is straightforward:
- Sign the petition via VATsTheProblem.co.uk
- Share it with teams across venues
- Promote it across emails, social channels and websites.
- A dedicated campaign toolkit is also available to help businesses amplify the message across the industry.
In an open letter to the sector, Kerridge highlights the urgency behind the campaign, saying:
“Our sector is under huge pressure. We know it. We live and breathe it every day. We know that the key to unleashing hospitality’s potential to grow and thrive into the future comes through a VAT cut. We’re making sure Government knows that too, and we need your help.
“We’ve launched a petition, and we’re aiming to get a million signatures supporting a VAT cut to 10% for hospitality. Now is the time for hospitality to galvanise behind this campaign. Be part of a movement that aims to get hospitality recognised and taxed in a much fairer way. I know that the Government is listening, but we do need to push hard.
“Ask every single member of your team to sign the petition, and ask them to rally their friends and family, too. The next step is that on the 1 July, with hopefully tens of thousands of signatures already, we will launch the campaign to the consumer, with every hospitality business asking their guests to do the same: sign the petition.
“This is a nationwide campaign with ambassadors big and small spreading the word to everyone that will listen, all asking for the same thing; a cut to hospitality’s VAT to 10%. Let’s all get behind the campaign, make our voices heard and bang the drum for hospitality.”
