Hospitality closures soar due to toll of pending tax hikes

HUNDREDS of British hospitality businesses shut their doors for good in the final months of 2025 due to tax hikes and soaring costs.

- By Henry Saker-Clark

Pubs continue to face hard times

Industry data showed closures were particularly high among restaurants and casual dining venues.

Data from NIQ showed 382 net closures in the hospitality sector during the final three months of 2025 — the equivalent of four every day.

The country had 98,914 hospitality sites — including pubs, restaurants and cafes — at the end of December as a result.