George Greenaway, the landlord of the Tamworth Tap in Staffordshire, has described Chancellor John Healey's Budget as a continuation of the status quo, saying he feels "underwhelmed" by the announcement.
The venue, run by Mr Greenaway and his wife Louise, was named Pub of the Year by the real ale campaign group CAMRA for a record-breaking third time last year.
Fuel Duty Freeze Not Enough
While the Chancellor has frozen fuel duty until July 2027, Mr Greenaway said this may not address the major costs already incurred by the business under Labour's tenure in power.
"We've had fuel duty surcharges from lots of suppliers, and they need to be reversed but we need to rely on their integrity to actually do that," he said. "Whether another Iran crisis will negate the freeze is another thing."
Rates Threshold and Minimum Wage Concerns
Mr Greenaway said he may need to speak to the local authority over the rates threshold increase for the hospitality industry, as his building was originally two properties but he feared it may now be classed as one and qualify for the relief.
The threshold at which retail, hospitality and leisure businesses pay rates, a charge on commercial properties, has been increased from £12,000 to £18,000. The Chancellor said this means half of shops, restaurants and gyms will pay no business rates.
On the 3.9% minimum wage increase, Mr Greenaway said: "That's the sort of cost we have seeing if a staff member is the right fit for the business before they are potentially taken on with a higher rate.
"It can be an expensive exercise with the new higher the minimum amount when we are just seeing if that are right for the business.
"A bar job is more of a rite of passage, the more of a financial decision it is, the less of these kinds of jobs there are out there for students or people wanting a second job, and we all need a second job these days it seems."
Energy Costs Still a Concern
Summing up his views on whether the Chancellor had metaphorically topped up the business pint or left pubs with short measures, Mr Greenaway said: "I'm underwhelmed, I think this Budget is a continuation of the status-quo, I am pleased for the smaller businesses impacted by the change of rate threshold.
"But for energy costs for businesses it feels like (the Chancellor) is in head in the sand territory, because business suppliers of energy feel like a law unto themselves. There's some silly rates out there.
"I've gone on a new out-of-contract tariff for our residential property, and the rates are significantly lower even out-of-contract than my business energy cost.
"There doesn't seem to have been any real incentive to stop us having to continue to keep tightening our belts on energy costs."
