A note from our family
Hospitality VAT: why we're backing a cut to 10%
We're proud to run The Brasserie at Darleys. We're a family business, and hospitality is personal to us. Lee, Rob, Ryan, Chloe, Lisa and Eljay are all part of the family behind it.
Sign the petitionWhat VAT on food in restaurants really costs
≻≻Like restaurants across the country, we're managing rising costs while working hard to give our guests a great experience. Hospitality in the UK continues to pay VAT at 20%.
At 20% VAT
£20VAT
At 20% VAT: a £120 bill includes £20 VAT, leaving £100 before ingredients, wages, energy and everything else involved in running a restaurant.
At 10% VAT
£10.91VAT
At 10% VAT: the same £120 bill includes £10.91 VAT, leaving £9.09 more towards those costs.
How UK restaurant VAT compares with Europe
≻≻UK
20%
France
10%
Spain
10%
Italy
10%
Germany
7%
Germany applies 7% to restaurant and catering services, excluding drinks.
That extra breathing room could help restaurants look after their teams, support their suppliers and keep investing in the experience they offer guests.
What the 2026 Budget changed, and what it didn't
≻≻The 28th of October's 2026 Budget brought some business-rates support for parts of hospitality, but no reduction in hospitality VAT. We believe the case for a lower rate deserves to remain part of the conversation.
Why we're backing #VATsTheProblem
≻≻We're backing #VATsTheProblem, a campaign championed by Tom Kerridge and supported by chefs including Tommy Banks, as well as businesses and people across the wider hospitality community. More than 400,000 people have already signed. If you'd like to support restaurants like ours, please sign and share the petition.
Sign the petitionQuestions about hospitality VAT
≻≻From our family to yours, thank you for standing with us.
The Darleys family
Thank you for your continued support of our family business. It means a great deal to all of us.