The government has announced that it will extend the alcohol off-sales easement, introduced during the pandemic, to September 2023, following a campaign led by UKHospitality and other sector bodies.
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A new taxpayer-funded ad campaign will ask businesses to cut prices to help with the cost-of-living crisis from July.
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As the latest Wine Drinkers UK communique suggests, taxing alcohol is set to cost the wine industry an estimated £300 million and push up prices for UK consumers, without bringing any significant boost to Treasury funds.
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In April, the VAT on hospitality sector purchases will return to the pre-pandemic rate of 20%. The increase follows two years of reduced rates for the industry; in July 2020, rates were reduced to 5% before rising to 12.5% in October last year.
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On Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his ‘Living with Covid plan’, which will see England end all of its remaining legal coronavirus rules on Thursday, including contact tracing.
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Independent retailers in Northern Ireland have cautiously welcomed the announcement that non-domestic rates are to be frozen for the next financial year and that businesses will still receive a three-month rates holiday.
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The Wine and Spirit APPG has published its SME Inquiry Report on the government’s ‘illogical and unfair’ reform to alcohol duty.
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Nicola Sturgeon's announcement that the limitations and restrictions on indoor dining would continue until at least 24 January has been widely condemned by interest groups in Scotland.
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As plans are drawn up for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June, UKHospitality has petitioned the government to extend the UK's normal licensing hours during the bank holiday weekend.
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New figures from UKHospitality show that pubs, bars and restaurants lost £10,335 on average in the week leading up to Christmas, due to fears over the new Covid-19 variant.
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Scotland and Wales are to receive additional funding from Westminster to help struggling businesses cope with new Covid restrictions, as England awaits news on further restrictive measures.
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James Lawrence picks out the highs and lows of another history-making year.
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Liberty Wines has joined a growing roster of UK drinks companies in voicing its concerns around the upcoming government alcohol duty review, which is under consultation until 30 January 2022.
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As the hospitality industry continues to face a mounting crisis of cancellations and closures in the wake of Omicron and Plan B restrictions, UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls has urged the government to step in and save many businesses from going under.
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The implementation of the government's 'Plan B' passport scheme begins today (December 15), despite a significant revolt among members of the Parliamentary Conservative Party.
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Scotland's Minister for green skills, circular economy and biodiversity has confirmed that the nation's inaugural Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) will launch next year.
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A re-tightening of restrictions is threatening to put a pin in Christmas celebrations, causing more gloom for the hospitality sector as the government rubber stamps plans to introduce vaccine passports for late-night venues.
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New Government legislation will mean an additional 13% price increase overnight added to every bottle of fortified wine entering the country come January of next year, according to Steve Moody, chairman of Fells, which counts the Ports of Symington Family Estates, Blandy’s Madeira and Barbadillo sherries in its portfolio.
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The international communities’ decision to prohibit travel to South Africa will have “significant implications” for the nation's struggling wine and tourism industries, according to oversight body VinPro.
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With Christmas almost upon us, the WSTA has called upon the UK government to take urgent action over HGV driver shortages and freight disruption to avoid “supply chain chaos” in December 2021 and beyond.
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