13/08/2026
We at Gravesham Reform want to shine a light on the struggle that the hospitality industry are facing. We’ve been chatting to Bartellas in Meopham, a valued local business, employing local people and positively contributing to our community, and with their permission, we want to share just some of their costs -
🏢 Business rates: £1,867 per month
🗑️ Bin collection: £500 per month
🏠 Rent: £3,341 per week
🔥 Gas & electricity: £5,000 per month
👨🍳 Wages: £45,000 every 4 weeks
💷 Employer NI: £15,000 every 4 weeks
Then there’s the 20% VAT!
When you spend £100 at Bartellas, £16.67 of that represents VAT. The restaurant is left with £83.33. Meanwhile, much of the food bought from supermarkets to eat at home is zero-rated for VAT.
How is hospitality supposed to compete?
Tom Kerridge’s campaign is calling on the Government to reduce hospitality VAT from 20% to 10% and we are asking you to please help by signing
https://www.vatstheproblem.co.uk/
