Last week local MP Luke Hall brought Pub Landlords from across South Gloucestershire, for a Roundtable event with Kevin Hollinrake MP, the Minister for Pubs, Markets and Small Business.
Pubs represented included The Swan in Thornbury, The Globe and the Codrington Arms in Frampton Cotterell, Ye Olde Inn in Westerleigh, and the Horseshoe, the Gapes and the Tudor Raj in Chipping Sodbury.
Organised by Luke Hall, the meeting was an opportunity for local business to raise the issues which matter the most to local landlords, with officials at the highest levels of Government. Topics discussed included improving the quality of training programmes for kitchen staff, the rate of VAT paid in the hospitality sector, and rising operating costs.
Supporting businesses in the community is a key part of Luke’s Positive Plan for Jobs and the Local Economy, and the roundtable builds on the work he has already done, holding several jobs fairs, and fighting for expansion of Superfast Broadband coverage in rural areas.
Speaking following the meeting, Luke Hall said: “local pubs are the heart of our communities, and we have some of the best anywhere in the country. But they have all faced rising costs over the past year, and the challenges facing small businesses in the hospitality sector have been immense. I am delighted that our local pubs have had the opportunity to make the Government aware of the challenges the industry is facing.”
Matt Lewis from the Horseshoe pub commented: “It was excellent to have the opportunity to talk with the Business Minister, alongside other local pubs. It was clear that lots of us share similar concerns about the future for pubs, and both Luke and the Minister were really receptive to ideas we all raised.”
