Milton Keynes pub to cut price of all food and drink for one day this month

Captain Ridley's Shooting Party in Queensway, Bletchley, is supporting Tax Equality Day, which is aimed at highlighting the benefit of a permanent VAT reduction in the hospitality industry.

The prices at the Wetherspoon pub will be reduced on Thursday, September 24, for one day only.

At present, all food and drink in pubs is subject to five percent VAT as a result of the cut by the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, on July 15. However, this is only set to continue until January 12, when it will return to 20 per cent.

The pub compared this to the supermarkets' benefit of a zero VAT rate on all food. As a result, the pub said, supermarkets are able to use that saving to sell alcohol at a discounted price.

The pub's manager, Sam Kelman, said: "We are proud to support the campaign to reduce the level of VAT within the hospitality industry.

"Customers coming to Captain Ridley's Shooting Party will find the price of their food and drink is lower than normal.

"Pubs have been under fantastic pressure for decades due to the tax disadvantages we have with the supermarkets.

"We're very grateful to the Chancellor for reducing the tax disparity between supermarkets and pubs to five per cent.

"We are urging the Chancellor to create tax equality between pubs and supermarkets by making the current VAT regime for pub food and soft drinks permanent."