Pub Landlord's Campaign Gains National Momentum with Over 500 Businesses
A campaign initiated by a pub landlord in the Forest of Dean, advocating for fairer treatment of hospitality businesses, has rapidly evolved into a UK-wide movement. The 'Hands off our Pubs' (Hoop) campaign, which began last month as a local discussion among landlords about escalating costs, has now attracted support from more than 500 businesses across the country.
Summit Highlights Industry Challenges
On Wednesday, the campaign group convened a summit at The Speech House in Coleford, featuring prominent speakers such as Tony Sophoclides, strategic affairs director at UKHospitality, and Julie Kent MBE, the High Sheriff of Gloucestershire. The event brought together hotel owners, café operators, tourism leaders, and independent publicans to deliberate on the pressing issues confronting the hospitality sector.
Central to the discussions was the "growing disconnect" between government policies and the practical realities of operating hospitality businesses, especially in rural and market-town areas where pubs often serve as vital community infrastructure.
Voices from the Front Lines
Mr. Terry-Lush, co-founder of Hoop, emphasized the severe financial pressures facing the industry. "Most consumers have no idea how many new costs are being piled onto hospitality," he stated. "Business rates, an alcohol duty hike, higher employment and environmental taxes, rising energy bills, and food inflation are all landing simultaneously—forcing prices upward while margins collapse."
He further highlighted the competitive disadvantage pubs face compared to supermarkets, which sell alcohol at minimal margins that pubs cannot legally or commercially match. "Community pubs cannot absorb this imbalance. They either pass on costs and lose customers, or close. That is the reality," he added.
From Local Concern to National Movement
Last month, the government announced a 15 percent discount on business rates for pubs and music venues following backlash against Rachel Reeves' Budget announcements in November. However, the Hoop campaign is advocating for more substantial support.
In a LinkedIn post after the summit, Hoop described the determined mood among participants, noting that speakers consistently reported busy venues and loyal customers, yet margins were "quietly evaporating" due to factors like 20 percent VAT, unrealistic business rate calculations, rising employment costs, and supermarket competition.
The post underscored hospitality's role as economic infrastructure, driving tourism, supporting retail, employing young people, anchoring villages, and sustaining high streets. "When it weakens, places weaken," it warned.
The summit aimed to transform frustration into organized influence, shifting from polite appeals to coordinated action. The clear message emerging from The Speech House was that this issue is no longer local but structural and national, prompting the group to take its fight to Westminster.
Government Response
A spokesperson for HM Treasury reiterated the government's support for Britain's pubs, citing measures such as the 15 percent reduction in new business rates bills, extended World Cup opening hours, and an increase in the Hospitality Support Fund to £10 million to aid venue growth.
