Top chefs continue to rally for hospitality support

Leading chefs in the West Midlands today pledged to continue their fight to get more government support for the beleaguered hospitality sector.

This followed the end of the temporary reduction of VAT in the hospitality, hotel, holiday accommodation and attractions industry.

This week top chefs and restaurant owners from across the region joined forces with Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) to voice concerns over the reversal of VAT rate reductions.

In a letter to Chancellor Rishi Sunak, the Chamber and well-known hospitality industry figures such as Simpsons ' owner Andreas Antona (pictured) and TV chef Glynn Purnell called for an extension to the rates reduction in a bid to drive consumer demand.

The letter - signed by more than 30 representatives from the hospitality and dining sector - also urges the Chancellor to use his Autumn Budget to reform the “outdated ” business rates system.

However, the move to raise VAT to 12.5 per cent brought an angry response from Mr Antona, who also owns The Cross in Kenilworth.

He said: “The decision to put VAT up again will not give us time to get back on to an even keel. It will not allow us time to recover and at the same time pay the support that has been forthcoming through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Scheme and Bounce Back Loans.

“We have been operating with no income for a long time and have in many cases used our own money and borrowed to keep businesses afloat. It 's short-sighted to introduce these vanity projects and then walk away. I just don 't understand their reasoning.

“So we are now going to step up our campaign to get more support nationally and organise a petition to get things changed before it 's too late for a lot of hospitality businesses. ”

Click here to find out more on the campaign the Chamber is running to support the hospitality sector as national restrictions ease