Author: Chris Wright
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Outdoor hospitality – guest blog
Outdoor hospitality: a welcome proposal BUT not yet permission to trade A guest blog from Gareth Hughes – Barrister and Licensing and Planning Consultant The Government has identified outdoor hospitality as a possible subject for regulatory reform. In Budget 2026, it announced that proposed new powers could allow councils to test ways of making it…
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Budget 2026: Government Announces ‘Guest Beer’ Provision for Tied Pubs
Guest Beer Rights Coming to the Pubs Code in Major Budget Announcement A potentially significant change to the tied pub market has been announced in Budget 2026, with the Government confirming that it intends to introduce a new “Guest Beer” provision into the Pubs Code covering England and Wales. The announcement appears in section 3.29…
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Historic Pub Business Rates: Why Valuations Deserve Scrutiny
Historic pubs cannot be valued as modern trading machines The Valuation Office (VO) must explain why the assessed rental capacity of these historic pubs has risen so sharply when the constraints on operating them remain so substantial. Across the 12 properties listed by Dr James Wright, a buildings archaeologist who worked on behalf of Historic…
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Are You Paying Too Much for Your Drinks Range?
Are You Paying Too Much for Your Drinks Range? With operating costs under pressure and drinking trends changing, now could be a good time for independent operators to take a fresh look at what they’re stocking and what they’re paying. Figures supplied by GIFT indicate that at the end of August 2026, the UK on-trade…
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New TUPE Liability Calculator
Understand the Potential Cost Before You Commit When taking over a business, acquiring a trading operation or considering a transaction where employees may transfer, one question can have a major effect on the commercial decision: What employment liabilities could come with the deal? RH&L has launched a new TUPE Liability Calculator for 2026/27, designed to…