Hospitality firms pleading for aid

CALL FOR RATE OF VAT TO BE SLASHED

- By WILLIAM TELFORD

PLYMOUTH hospitality bosses are warning the city could lose more restaurants unless the Government slashes their tax bill.

Restaurateurs say they are being hammered by rising costs, declining customer spend, supermarket competition and hikes in National Insurance contributions.

They are calling on the Government to slash VAT to 10% to give them a “fighting chance” warning that otherwise more businesses will go to the wall.

In the past year, Plymouth has lost Bretonside’s Plates restaurant, the city centre's Mila’s Bakery, the Barbican’s Flower Cafe, the News Café and Hook and Line at the Royal William Yard, and the Franco Manca and BrewDog chains at The Barcode, among others.

City hospitality bosses have told The Herald they want to raise awareness about the plight of businesses and are backing the national ‘VAT's the Problem’ campaign, spearheaded by TV chef Tom Kerridge, which wants VAT cut in half from its current 20%.

The restaurant bosses are calling on the Plymouth public to sign the ‘Vat’s the Problem’ petition online (www.vatstheproblem.co.uk).