A pint should be £8.50 says pub boss as energy bills soar

HOSPITALITY businesses have seen their bills surge by 81 per cent on average, driving urgent pleas for more help from firms

- HENRY SAKER-CLARK AND ETHAN DAVIES

The industry says it desperately needs more government support, with less than a third of business owners saying they are ‘optimistic’ about the future. More than four in five of the owners said energy bills were ‘a worry’.

Drinkers and diners in Greater Manchester will be all-too-familiar with the problems facing companies – as many of our high-profile closures in 2023 can be attributed to energy costs.

The situation is best exemplified by one town.

Ramsbottom has been hit hard by the economic downturn. In February, the Hearth of the Ram shut and went up for sale. Last month, its well-loved Chocolate Cafe served its last confectionery, and equally popular Spanish joint Levanter went.