Heston Blumenthal calls for VAT cut to ‘save British pubs’
Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal has called on the government and licensees to take urgent action to halt the closure of thousands of UK pubs.
The chef, who owns owner of the Michelin-starred gastropub The Hinds Head, is campaigning for a reduction to the UK’s VAT rate, which is one of the highest in Europe.
He said: “Saving the Great British pub is about more than nostalgia… it is about preserving spaces that bring people together, support local economies and keep traditions alive,” Blumenthal said as part of a new campaign ‘Save the Great British Pub: A Call to Protect a National Treasure’.
“Pubs are at the heart of Britain’s social fabric,” he added.
Businesses have been facing surging energy, food and wage costs as well as higher taxes since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Pubs ‘must be protected’
Industry lobby group UK Hospitality has similarly called on the government to lower VAT, as well as lowering business rates and “fixing” employer’s national insurance contributions.
“The 2024 Budget was a hammer blow to hospitality… businesses are reporting jobs being lost, hours cut, investment cancelled and [closures],” the group said.
Earlier this week, more than 600 Greene King landlords called on Chancellor Rachel Reeves to lower taxes for pubs ahead of the Autumn Budget, arguing that pubs face “serious pressure”.
Around two thirds of British hospitality businesses have less than six months of reserves left while one in five have nothing to fall back on.
Eight pubs a week shut their doors across the UK in the first half of 2025 amid rising tax and labour costs.
“When a pub closes, it’s not just a business lost; it’s a piece of local heritage,” Blumenthal said. “The pub is a cultural icon, a national treasure and must be protected.”
A government spokesperson said: “Pubs are vital to local communities, that’s why we’re cutting the cost of licensing, helping more pubs, cafes and restaurants offer pavement drinks and al fresco dining, and extended business rates relief for these businesses – on top of cutting alcohol duty on draught pints and capping corporation tax.”