Former Lockerbie publican wants more Scottish Government support for hospitality industry

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A former Lockerbie publican is calling on the Scottish Government to do more to support the hospitality industry. Stephen Montgomery told of the pressures businesses are currently facing as new figures show pubs in Scotland are closing at twice the rate of those in England.

Mr Montgomery, 54, who now owns a restaurant in Annan and is director of the Scottish Hospitality Group, said: “We are on unequal par with the rest of Britain as far as the issue of business rates is concerned and a big issue for us at the moment is utility bills, with some places seeing between a 50 to 300 per cent increase. “I had an eight bed, 64-seat hotel, with a bar and it cost me £1,800 a month in gas and electricity.

I now have a 48-seat restaurant and I am no less than £4,800 to £5,200 a month. “On top of that, we have wage inflation. The difference in tax here is also huge.

There is also cost inflation of produce and Covid debt.” He added: “The Scottish Hospitality Group led the campaign for an emergency 75 per cent business rates relief to match the support that hospitality businesses in England and Wales have received over the last year. “The government needs to be talking and listening to us, not just ticking off a list, and there needs to be a reform of business rates.” Figures out last week show that 89 bars shut in Scotland last year as ­landlords face a combination of soaring energy bills, higher labour costs and customers with less cash to spend.