Top chefs back Andy Burnham for prime minister to cut VAT on hospitality
Top chefs and restaurateurs backed Andy Burnham’s call to cut VAT on hospitality from 20% to 10% to ease pressure on struggling venues.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
Chefs including Tom Kerridge, Thomasina Miers and Tommy Banks are lining up behind Andy Burnham’s push for a VAT cut on pubs, restaurants, hotels and bars. The article frames the issue as a fight over whether hospitality can survive current tax and cost pressures.
Hospitality businesses are like shops that sell dinners and drinks, and they pay tax on top. The chefs want that tax cut so more restaurants and pubs can stay open, like giving a leaky bucket a smaller hole.
Analysis
Top chefs and restaurateurs are publicly backing Andy Burnham’s call to cut VAT on hospitality from 20% to 10%, arguing that the sector is being squeezed by high taxes and rising costs. Burnham, who is standing in the Makerfield byelection and is expected to challenge Keir Starmer if he wins, has long argued that pubs, restaurants, hotels and bars should be taxed at rates closer to those in Europe.
The chefs point to France, Spain and Italy, where VAT on hospitality is 10%, and Germany, where it is 7%. They say a lower rate would give businesses room to breathe at a time when venues are closing rapidly. Tom Kerridge says hospitality is being run by Treasury spreadsheets rather than by people who understand how venues actually operate, and he wants the wider sector to rally behind Burnham if a leadership contest emerges.
The article also shows that VAT has become a political dividing line. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has made a similar pledge on hospitality VAT, but Kerridge rejects his plan to fund it by restoring the two-child benefit cap. Other voices in the piece, including Sacha Lord, say a VAT reduction could be the single measure that helps save many businesses and jobs.
The backdrop is a sector under strain: Kerridge says venues are closing at a rate of 21 a week because of business rates, employer national insurance, wage rises, energy bills and food inflation. Burnham’s supporters argue that he understands the sector from his years as Manchester mayor, where he promoted a lively food and nightlife scene.
Key points
- Chefs and restaurateurs are backing Andy Burnham’s call to cut hospitality VAT from 20% to 10%.
- Supporters say the UK should move closer to European VAT rates for pubs, restaurants, hotels and bars.
- Tom Kerridge argues the sector is being squeezed by taxes, wages, energy bills and food inflation.
- The article says hospitality venues are closing at a rate of 21 a week.
- Burnham’s backers say he understands hospitality from his time as Manchester mayor.
If VAT is cut, hospitality businesses could keep more money from each sale and use it to pay staff, cover bills and stay open. The article suggests that would bring UK rates closer to parts of Europe and could help protect jobs.
If the tax burden stays the same, the pressure on pubs, restaurants and hotels could keep building, and more venues may close. The article also shows the policy fight could get pulled into leadership politics without producing relief for the sector.
