Hospitality figures such as Sacha Lord and Marc Griffiths have criticised the government’s support package for pubs.

“The support package being announced today, is far too little and too late,” said Lord. “Firstly, it’s only for pubs and an average of 2.2k a pub, which won’t even touch the sides.”

He pondered why Rachel Reeves ignored the rest of the hospitality sector.

“The Chancellor just wants a cheap headline,” he continued. “Meanwhile, our high streets are being decimated, due to her lack of understanding of business.”

Marc Griffiths, co-founder of World Famous Dive Bars, echoed those concerns.

“This isn’t support. It’s a rounding error,” he said. “One of our venues has seen its rateable value jump from £30,000 to £160,000 overnight. Same building. Same bar. Same customers.”

Griffiths warned that business rates are crippling operators already dealing with rising wages, energy bills and employer National Insurance. 

“Reform business rates for hospitality. Link them to real trading performance. Stop taxing pubs like property assets and start treating them like operating businesses,” he said, adding: “Because this level of ‘support’ isn’t enough – and every day it isn’t fixed, another pub disappears.”