THE LEADING PUBLICATION FOR THE INDEPENDENT HOSPITALITY SECTOR
IMPROVE PROFITS & SALES With 30 years DEMONSTRABLE experience, we can certainly improve your Profits:
• ANALYSING & EXPLAINING TO YOU WHY YOUR BUSINESS MIGHT BE UNDERPERFORMING • GIVING YOU A WORKABLE PLAN TO CORRECT IT • ONE-TO-ONE OR COLLECTIVE PROFITABILITY TRAINING FOR YOU, FOR GMs & HEAD CHEFS • IMPROVING YOUR PROFITS AND SALES Call David Hunter now to talk it through: Phone: 01628 487613 Mob: 07831 407984 www.bowdengroup.co.uk (Est 1984) Download the new “Bowden GPCalculator” iPhone App make costing and pricing easy
COPING WITH THE NEW £7.20ph LIVING WAGE From April 2016, all Hotel, Restaurant and Pub businesses will have to pay any staff members who are over 25 years old the new “Living Wage” which starts at £7.20ph!!! THIS WILL BE COMPULSORY - whereas the current “Living Wage” is NOT! This will be extremely difficult for all of our industry’s businesses and FATAL for some! • PERHAPS NOW IS THE TIME TO GET SOME HELP AND START PLANNING FOR THIS CHANGE • WE CAN HELP YOU BY REVIEWING YOUR OVERALL WAGES STRUCTURE NOW, AND HELP YOU THROUGH ANY NECESSARY CHANGES Call David Hunter now to talk it through: Phone: 01628 487613 Mob: 07831 407984 www.bowdengroup.co.uk (Est 1984) Download the new “Bowden GPCalculator” iPhone App make costing and pricing easy
www.catererlicensee.com
March 2016
Issue 186
Food Temperature Monitoring
Hospitality Technology
Outdoor Spaces
Property and Professional
Pages 16- 17
Pages 18 - 19
Design and Refit
Page 20 - 23
Pages 24 - 27
Pages 28 - 30
Report Warns That Tax Increase Could Harm Pub and Brewing Industry A RECENT research report warns that if the Chancellor goes ahead with plans to increase beer duty in this month’s budget the consequences could severely damage the pub and brewing industry. The report by the Centre for Economics & Business Research (Cebr), commissioned by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), suggests an increase would halt by the end of the current parliament the momentum gained from three years of tax cuts, and further increases would cause a return to the alltime low in beer sales by 2020. The government’s current commitment is to raise beer duty in line with inflation. Instead of an increase, CAMRA is recommending a 1p reduction in tax and a subsequent freeze over the rest of the parliament. This, the report maintains, would trigger the creation of more jobs, an increase in investment and save more pubs from closing. The report estimates this proposal would see: • The creation of an additional 13,000 jobs in pubs and bars across the UK • An additional £75 million investment in the brewing industry by 2020 • Just under 550 pubs saved from closure Crucially, the beer and pub industry brings in £13 billion in tax revenue to the Exchequer each year and supports nearly 900,000 jobs. The report also highlights the UK pays nearly 40% of all beer duty collected in the EU, yet provides just less than an eighth of the consumption. CAMRA chief executive Tim Page, said: “This independent research from Cebr shows that any cut in beer duty is beneficial to both the entire pub and brewing industry and to the wider economy. “Without the last three cuts, beer prices would be higher and there would be fewer pubs. A fourth cut would keep the price of a pint down and keep pubs open. If the Chancellor goes ahead and increases beer duty, the danger
is that we could be placing all the benefits that have been achieved over the last three years at risk. In some cases that could mean jeopardising the existence of some breweries and pubs and the jobs of the large number of people that work for them. Crucially, it is the customer who could suffer with increased prices, a reduced choice of beers and a reduced choice of pubs to visit.” Economist at the Cebr, Sam Alderson, added: “Three consecutive cuts to duty have helped to stem the decline of the British beer industry, saving over 1,000 pubs and supporting more than 26,000 additional jobs. However, with challenges including economic uncertainty and the introduction of the National Living Wage in 2016, it is clear that a further cut in duty should be considered in order to help sustain the momentum across the beer industry.” The report follows a call in January by the chief executives of the campaign coalition calling for a cut in beer duty (CAMRA, SIBA, and the BBPA), who wrote a letter jointly to Members of Parliament urging them to support a new Parliamentary motion calling for a one penny cut in beer duty in the Budget. An Early Day Motion 919 tabled by Nigel Evans MP, and has been backed by 50 MPs from all parties highlighted the 19,000 boost in employment generated by three, one penny duty cuts in the Chancellor’s last three Budgets, as well as £1 billion in investment. Further cuts would secure jobs and lower the cost of living, the EDM says. Mike Benner, Managing Director of SIBA, said: "Three consecutive duty cuts have led to increased investment across the independent brewing sector creating new jobs and providing support for important local small businesses across the country. I hope the Chancellor will continue to drive this much needed momentum with a further duty cut in March."
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