New every Sunday
Hospitality industry news
The week’s news for pubs, restaurants, cafés, hotels, gyms and care homes, and what it means for your business.
This week, 1 November 2026
Budget week: wages, rates and alcohol duty all change by April
The Budget on 28 October set the cost picture for 2027: higher wages, higher alcohol duty and rates help for some venues in England. New harassment rules also started on 30 October, and more employment changes arrive on 1 January.
- EmploymentNational Living Wage rises to £13.21 from 1 April 2027
- EmploymentTougher harassment duty is now in force, including for customer behaviour
- HospitalityEngland raises business rates relief threshold to £18,000 from April
- PubsAlcohol duty rises 4.55% in February as pub relief hits 35%
- HospitalityLicensed venue numbers fall by 977 in a year, NIQ finds
- CareCare providers warn council funding will not cover the wage rise
- HotelsEnglish mayors to get overnight levy powers; hotels miss extra relief
- CafésTreasury says 2,200 more English cafés will pay no rates
- GymsGyms get rates help but ukactive says Budget falls short