High costs mean that one in six businesses are at risk of closing in the next 12 months, prompting fresh calls from well-known chefs and small business owners for a VAT cut.

Tom Kerridge is leading calls from small business owners for the tax to be cut from 20pc to 10pc to help businesses avoid closures, job losses and price cuts. Ireland is cutting…

The hospitality sector has stepped up calls for the government to slash VAT for the sector amid evidence that almost a quarter of firms are loss making