Many of you will have read of the impact on the Hospitality industry of the recent changes in government policies including the effect of the inflation beating increases in the Minimum Wage, up 6.7% for over 21s and a minimum of 16.3% for under 21s. This is in addition of course to the increase in Employer NI contributions from 13.8% to 15%, which equates to a 7% increase.
Prices are also rising from our suppliers exemplified by the recent announcement by Guinness of a 4.2% increase, plus the food and energy cost inflation over the last 12 months that we are all experiencing.
Then to cap it all our Business Rates are increasing by 50%.
In our trade it is very difficult to make savings through AI, as suggested by the government; our raison d’etre is to give you service not ask you to input your order on a screen and then serve yourself, after waiting in a queue.
We consider all initiatives to keep our costs down, this year we have been working very hard to achieve savings in all areas.
Unfortunately, with all the above we will have to increase our prices from 7th April in the main by between 3% & 6%, although some items do remain the same and some are a little higher.
Nobody likes price increases, most of all ourselves, but it is important that the White Lion is a profitable business which allows for re-investments, buildings maintenance etc and gives our village a successful business at its heart that we hope will still be here serving your children and even grandchildren in the future.