Hospitality is part of what makes Yorkshire special but businesses need backing - Kate Nicholls
Incredible food, impeccable service, a warm atmosphere and at the heart of their communities – these are all themes running through the fantastic venues that make up the top 20 restaurants in Yorkshire.
It’s fantastic to see The Yorkshire Post introduce its inaugural Restaurant of the Year award, and shine a spotlight on all the venues that were shortlisted.
A massive congratulations to Forge at Middleton Lodge for winning the overall accolade, and to all of the venues that were shortlisted. What an achievement. My list of restaurants to visit across the region has suddenly become a lot bigger.
As a proud resident of Yorkshire myself, I know all too well the fantastic hospitality that is on offer across the region. Those themes that feature in all the shortlisted venues are not the exception, they are the rule for hospitality across Yorkshire.
Operators of all kinds – from restaurants and pubs to cafes and hotels – pride themselves on delivering world-class experiences to their guests and ensuring their trip to Yorkshire is unforgettable.
For many, it might be the trip of a lifetime. A visitor from the US or Australia who has always dreamt of that trip to the quintessential English pub or restaurant in the Dales.
Or it might be that much-needed family getaway – a chance to reset and enjoy the fantastic landscape we’re so lucky to have right on our doorstep.
Hospitality that goes the extra mile can make a trip, and that’s why as a sector we’re so laser-focused on delivering amazing experiences for everyone who walks through the door. It’s why awards like these really matter. From high-end fine dining to neighbourhood restaurants, shining a light on outstanding businesses is so important.
Now more than ever, our hospitality businesses need support.
That’s because the sheer scale of costs facing our local restaurants, pubs, cafes and hotels, to name a few, is suffocating local businesses and threatening their ability to stay open. Even the very best restaurants are not immune.
To the naked eye, a jam-packed restaurant should logically be thriving, but now that’s not necessarily the case.
The combination of rising employment costs, increasing business rates, high energy prices, and one of the highest rates of VAT in Europe means that the money coming through the front door is simply not enough to offset the cost of doing business.
So that busy restaurant may not be thriving as you think.
The strain on our restaurants will only intensify further next month, when business rates increase once again. Despite the Government’s promises to level the playing field between the high street and online giants, the average restaurant will see their rates bill increase by £1,800 – or a 15 per cent increase.
In 2027/28, rates will have increased by £5,900 compared to today, and the year after it will have risen by £6,600 compared to today. In total, that’s a £14,300 increase over three years.
That level of increase to rates – the business equivalent of council tax – is simply unsustainable and will put restaurants across Yorkshire under ever more pressure.
That rising cost burden will force more businesses to close, more jobs to be lost and more cities, towns and villages losing much-loved community venues.
It’s devastating for the businesses that lose their livelihoods, the teams that lose their jobs and the customers that lose their local, but it’s also devastating for the social fabric of the community.
Our restaurants, pubs and cafes are places where people come to socialise, to celebrate a special occasion or simply to catch up with friends and family.
In many rural villages across Yorkshire, it’s more often than not the central meeting point for functions, parish council meetings and much more.
There are more isolated rural communities where hospitality is absolutely central to combating loneliness and giving people the opportunity to connect.
Hospitality is much more than pounds and pence in a till or just numbers on a spreadsheet, it is the thread that knits together the social fabric of our communities and our culture.
Not only does it deliver economically, but it is the most socially productive sector in the UK.
We are a sector that provides opportunities for everyone, nurtures their talent and develops their skills into an exciting career.
It helps to drive much-needed redevelopment and regeneration of our high streets. Hospitality should be backed and supported, instead of being held back by the sheer amount of cost being thrust upon its shoulders.
So, what is the solution? Reduce the cost of doing business. Cut VAT to bring it in line with Europe.
The UK’s 20 per cent VAT is one of the highest in Europe and puts us at a competitive disadvantage to other competitors that levy as little as seven per cent on hospitality and tourism.
Fix the broken business rates system. Hospitality and the high street continue to pay more than its fair share of business rates, despite Government promises to level the playing field.
Stop the holiday tax. The Government’s proposed holiday tax could hit holidaymakers and make their trip to Yorkshire more expensive.
Not only would that deter visitors, but it would also reduce spending in the wider economy – from restaurants and pubs to taxi firms and local attractions.
Hospitality is part of what makes Yorkshire special – that warm welcome, hearty food, and precious times spent with friends and family.
Let’s back hospitality and watch The Yorkshire Post’s Restaurant of the Year award go from strength to strength.
Kate Nicholls OBE is the chair of UKHospitality.