Savvy Collective Founder delivers Budget response: "Anyone hoping for an early Christmas present for hospitality will be disappointed by this Budget."

Chester, Cheshire, October 29: For immediate release.

Commenting on the Budget, hospitality expert and hotel owner Steven Hesketh, founder of SAVVY Collective said: "Anyone hoping for an early Christmas present for hospitality will be disappointed by this Budget.

"Make no mistake: everything is going up. Food, fuel, utilities, wages, rents and the cost of a night out. Yet we're expected to celebrate small measures that barely scratch the surface.

"A £100 boost means little when household bills keep rising. Freezing fuel duty is not a cut, and reducing VAT on electricity offers limited relief. Meanwhile, the minimum wage increase, although welcome for workers, creates significant pressure for businesses already struggling with soaring costs.

"Those costs don't disappear. They mean higher prices, fewer staff, reduced opening hours, recruitment freezes and, ultimately, a poorer customer experience. Landlords face higher costs too, and tenants will likely pay the price.

"Speaking from my own hospitality businesses, the minimum wage changes alone will add around £1,200 a month at our smallest hotel, employing just 11 people. Add rising National Insurance, pensions, utilities, supplier costs, business rates, banking fees and the endless burden of compliance, and the numbers become frightening.

"Meanwhile, hotel rates have increased by only a few pounds over the year, while occupancy has fallen. Revenue remains flat as costs climb. This isn't money sitting in a corporate bank account; it pays wages, supports families, maintains buildings and keeps local suppliers in business.

"We also risk losing a generation of young people. Apprenticeships that once gave businesses affordable support and young people valuable skills are becoming prohibitively expensive. We should be creating opportunities, not pricing people out of their first job.

"Now we face the prospect of tourism taxes, adding further pressure on customers and another administrative burden on businesses.

"Small businesses aren't the villains. Most employers want to pay fairly, provide good service and invest in their teams. But you cannot keep increasing costs while expecting businesses to absorb everything without consequences.

"Where is the growth supposed to come from when businesses are fighting simply to survive?

"My fear is that early 2027 will bring more closures, fewer jobs and declining services. We need policies that genuinely support workers and the businesses that employ them. Otherwise, we all lose.

About SAVVY Collective

SAVVY Collective is the intelligent partner for owner-led hotels, leisure and lifestyle ventures, combining real ownership experience with specialist expertise to deliver practical solutions that strengthen people, performance, place, product and profitability. SAVVY operates across five service areas: Management, Consultancy, Education, Events and Investment.

The collective is family run, and led by Steven Hesketh alongside his wife Nicola, and children Jessica, Rebecca and Scott.

www.savvycollective.co.uk | info@savvycollective.co.uk | LinkedIn