Wetherspoons to slash its food and drink prices - but for one day only
04.09.2023 - 13:39
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Wetherspoons will be slashing its food and drinks prices for one day only. Punters heading to the pub chain will see prices reduced by 7.5%.
The promotion is set to go ahead on Tax Equality Day (September 14) as part of a campaign to highlight the tax burden on the hospitality industry. The price drops means that a customer spending £10 on food and drinks will only pay £9.25 for example.
Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features.
Wetherspoons has added a price calculator on their site for punters to show them how much they could save at their local Spoons with a permanent VAT reduction. Chairman of the popular pub chain said they want to expose the “vast disparity” in how pubs and restaurants are taxed, compared with supermarkets and highlight the benefit that a permanent VAT reduction would have on pubs and restaurants across the UK.
Prices in Scotland will be reduced on food and non-alcoholic drinks, in line with Scottish licensing laws.
The group’s founder and chairman, Tim Martin, said: “The biggest threat to the hospitality industry is the vast disparity in tax treatment among pubs, restaurants and supermarkets.
“Supermarkets pay zero VAT in respect of food sales, whereas pubs and restaurants pay 20%. This tax benefit allows supermarkets to subsidise the selling price of beer.
“Pubs have been under fantastic pressure for decades because of the tax disadvantages which they have with supermarkets.”
It means that the hospitality industry is subsiding supermarkets because of the tax rules, Mr Martin argued.
“We urge the Chancellor to create tax equality between pubs and supermarkets”, he added.
Mr Martin has previously been vocal about the issue, arguing that the