A couple of times a year, I run a pub.

Listen to this article

A couple of times a year, I run a pub. Not from an office, from behind the bar. Last summer our head office team took over the Queen’s Head in Weybridge for a day, and I ran a station. I learned more about our business in those hours than in a month of board packs.

What you notice behind the bar is that guests don’t care what category you fall into. They want a good meal, a cold drink and a fair bill. Yet this week's Budget announcement showed how much our government still needs to learn about running a pub and previous changes show that the tax system still cares about the sign above the door.

Let me be fair - there is help. From April 2027, pubs, social clubs and live music venues get a 20% cut in business rates. The threshold for small business relief has gone up too, and I welcome both.........

© LBC