#VATsTheProblem: Tom Kerridge spearheading new campaign to cut VAT to 10%

Hospitality businesses, teams and organisations are urged to sign a new petition calling for Government to cut hospitality VAT to 10%, in line with Europe.

Chef Tom Kerridge is spearheading #VATsTheProblem, a new sector-wide campaign uniting hospitality businesses and teams, high-profile chefs, and sector trade bodies and organisations.

The campaign’s single ask is for the Government to cut hospitality VAT to 10%, in line with Europe, and it is urging the entire sector to back its call by signing a new petition, with the aim to get a million signatures.

It is already supported by major hospitality groups, including UKHospitality, the British Beer and Pub Association, the British Institute of Innkeeping and CODE Hospitality.

The campaign will officially launch to consumers on 1 July. In the month before the consumer launch, Tom is urging the entire sector to spread the message and get as many people signing the petition as possible.

What can hospitality businesses do?

1. Visit VATsTheProblem.co.uk and sign the petition.

2. Share the petition with all of your venues and their teams, asking them to sign ahead of 1 July.

3. Put the link to the website and the QR code on your emails, socials and website.

4. Use the VATs The Problem campaign toolkit to spread the word across hospitality.

UPDATE since launch:

Tom said: “What a start to the campaign, but it is just the start. More than 100,000 people backing 10% VAT for hospitality in just three days shows the strength of feeling across hospitality, and that number will only continue to grow.

“Hospitality businesses, please keep sharing the campaign with your teams and other venues in your area to get them to support, too.

“Let’s get this number as high as possible before the 1 July, and show just how much hospitality needs a VAT cut to 10%.”