Propel to launch definitive guide to the UK’s 500 largest hospitality companies: Propel is to launch a new and comprehensive guide to the top 500 hospitality companies in the sector, offering insights into the forces driving growth, innovation, and transformation. The Propel 500 report will analyse the companies leading the charge in hospitality, reporting on turnover, number of sites, and key staff. The guide will also include exclusive analysis to provide a full understanding of the market’s dynamics. Mark Wingett will delve into the mergers and acquisitions shaping the future of the Top 500. Tim Street dissects the UK’s rapidly developing franchise market. As the experiential leisure sector becomes a cornerstone of modern hospitality, Phil Pemberton will assess how innovative experiences are attracting customers. Meanwhile, Katherine Doggrell will examine the key developments in UK hotels, data expert Mark Bentley, business development director at HDI, will look at emerging growth sectors and Meaningful Vision founder Maria Vantifatova will analyse the latest trends in the quick service restaurant market. Propel 500 will be released on Friday, 10 January at 9am and is available for £595 plus VAT. Existing Premium Club members can receive it on Friday, 10 January at 9am for £395 plus VAT. Premium Club members will receive the report for free on Friday, 28 February at 9am. Pre-order Propel 500 today by emailing: kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com 

Government takes next step to permanently cut business rates: The government has introduced draft legislation that sets out its plans to permanently reduce business rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure properties from 2026, which would mark the first such permanent reduction in the sector’s history. The government said the reform, announced as part of a comprehensive package worth more than £1.6bn in 2025-26, will be funded by increasing taxes on the largest business properties, particularly targeting online retail warehouses. The government said: “This begins the delivery of the government’s promise to reform business rates and help the high street. Until then, 250,000 retail, hospitality and leisure properties will receive 40% relief off their business rates bills up to £110,000 per business to help smooth the transition to the new system. This support is alongside the Budget announcement to freeze the small business multiplier, together with small business rates relief protecting more than a million properties from inflationary increases. Taken together, this is a package worth more than £1.6bn in 2025-26.” James Murray, exchequer secretary to the Treasury, emphasised the transformative nature of the legislation: “For too long the business rates system has been working against our high streets,” he said. “This is a major step towards our new system that will support retail, hospitality and leisure businesses on our high streets to succeed.” Craig Beaumont, executive director of The Federation of Small Businesses, said: “For far too long, permanent business rates reform has been put into the too difficult box. It is extremely encouraging on rates to see ministers standing up for small firms in retail and hospitality and taking long-term action necessary to the future of our high streets.” Sebastian James, former chief executive of Boots and Dixons Carphone, added: “It is very welcome to see the government take steps to rebalance the heavy business rates load on bricks-and-mortar retail and hospitality so that our high streets up and down the country can flourish as the centres of their communities.”

 

UKHospitality – urgent rethink needed on employers’ NICs to unlock economic growth: UKHospitality has warned the government that an urgent rethink is needed on employers’ national insurance contributions (NICs). Chief executive Kate Nicholls was speaking after the economy was reported to have only grown 0.1% in the last quarter. She said the trade body is now urging Downing Street to look again at the £3.4bn in costs due to hit hospitality in April. “These lacklustre growth figures make it clear that the UK economy is still in a very fragile place,” she said. “How the government approaches the economy and consumer confidence going forwards, in both its policy and its language, will matter enormously. Its policy to inflict £3.4bn in costs on hospitality businesses in April is already having a negative impact on decision-making on investment and jobs, which will no doubt stifle economic growth once again. Hospitality has proven time and again that it can be an engine for growth and was forecast to grow 6% year-on-year. That potential is still there, if the government rethinks its changes to employer NICs and takes a high street-first approach to growth. Hospitality is disproportionately hit by these changes, as a significant employer of part-time staff, and we’d urge the government to either create a new employer NICs band for lower earners or implement an exemption for lower band taxpayers working fewer than 20 hours per week. Either of those measures would soften the blow for businesses and target support for part-time and lower paid workers.”