Fuller’s cautiously welcomes new business rates relief for pubs

Chairman Simon Emeny says the cut is welcome but ‘not yet the total reform’ pubs have been promised

Fuller’s, the pub and hotel company headquartered on Strand-on-the-Green in Chiswick, has welcomed the government’s latest business rates relief for pubs, while pressing ministers to go further on reforming business taxation more broadly.

On 23 July, Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced a further 20% cut to business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues in England, due to take effect from 2027/28. It builds on a 15% relief already in place for 2026/27, announced by the government back in January.

Commenting on the announcement, Simon Emeny, Executive Chairman of Fuller’s, said:

‘This is a positive start, and I look forward to seeing the full details of his proposal in due course.

‘While this provides welcome respite for pubs up and down the country, this is not yet the total reform of business rates that we have been promised by successive administrations, and we look forward to working with Government on the wider reform to create a proper, fair, and clear system of business taxes across all sectors’.

The relief follows warnings from the trade body UK Hospitality that pubs faced steep rises in their rates bills as a result of the 2026 revaluation, with publicans in some areas reportedly barring Labour MPs from their premises in protest earlier in the year.

Fuller, Smith and Turner themselves have been doing well, but they are bucking the trend. Roughly one pub a day has closed down in Britain over the last year, with many blaming higher operating costs, rising employment costs, taxes and business rates.

READ ALSO: Fuller’s see profits rise by 28%