Robert Richardson FIH MI

In the UK, a pint of beer carries both 20% VAT and around 56p in alcohol duty. In Switzerland, the same pint carries 8.1% VAT and around 13p in alcohol duty. Switzerland treats hospitality as a national economic asset, with the profession enjoying formal recognition and policy support from government bodies. In return, Swiss hospitality employs 4% of the national workforce, contributes up to 6% of GDP, creates community hubs, develops its people, and plays a central role in strengthening the economy. It’s a Wednesday evening in Lucerne, Switzerland, and every restaurant and bar is full, no businesses are closed, the atmosphere is joyous, and the welcome and service are both first-class. And it's a real-world example of how balanced taxation and government recognition can drive economic growth, skills development, and thriving communities. #HospitalityFamily #HospitalityMatters #TaxReform #GlobalHospitality #Switzerland #LearningFromOthers #InspireMotivateLearn #imin

@hmurray9 @MichelinGuideUK Another day, another hardworking hospitality businesses closed. My heart goes out to everyone who is loosing their livelihoods, businesses and homes. Many of these are IoH members, so we are hearing how devastating things are, first hand.

Absolutely shocking, the whole rates revaluation is ambiguous at best, and has resulted in a huge amount of closures. @Sacha_Lord @MickKill and I were discussing today just how bad this is for our sector, and how this is another reason why we have the highest rate of Hospitality businesses closures in history.

@sharrond62 @vanillaweb …@RBWR

Ridiculous. The pubs already pay their taxes, a percentage of profits, more profits more tax, they keep locals employed often young people… who desperately need it, yet more crazy uneconomic nonsense, every day brings more bad news

@KeithPenelope3 This needs speeding up. It's 2026.

Thank you, I do understand where they are coming from, health and hygiene requirements are absolute and essential, and not to be ignored, however there needs to be support to enable businesses to continue to trade in difficult times, not just warning letters. I will raise this when I meet @RosieDuffield1

I can’t seem to send as a DM but here it is. Officer involved I have DM’d to you. I don’t run a food business but being harassed over procedure at a critical & costly moment by CCC was hardly good relationship building. I spoke to a well known local restaurateur who said CCC were first through the door today. Just what we all needed.

Good old @canterburycc have wasted no time in harassing business owners. Mocked up some slovenly notice heaping fuel on the fire & telling businesses to close- instead of offering any actual help- why not read the room- this is why folks loathe politicians. @sewateruk @julesserkin @RosieDuffield1 @UKLabour @labourpress @horton_official @GBNEWS @KM_newsroom @bbckent #whitstable @MrWhitstable

It was a pleasure to meet Ben Fletcher, candidate to become the first Mayor of the new Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority, at the Abode Hotel in Chester today. Hospitality is a cornerstone of the Cheshire economy, and in these challenging times, it was encouraging to hear Ben’s commitment to ensuring our sector receives the support it needs should he be elected. I was particularly pleased by his recognition that hospitality must sit at the heart of any future skills agenda under the Mayor’s office, especially in light of today’s deeply concerning news regarding a potential “lost generation” in employment, education and training. Now more than ever, creating opportunities for young people must be central to any legislative agenda, because hospitality remains one of the very best platforms for the next generation to grow, develop and thrive. #StrongerTogether #HospitalityFamily #InspireMotivateLearn #Cheshire

@KeithPenelope3 @julesserkin @canterburycc @sewateruk @businessbunker Followed.

@RBWR @julesserkin @canterburycc @sewateruk @businessbunker Dear Robert, I have a copy of CCC’s letter to businesses. If you’d like to see a copy would you follow and I’ll DM it now? Thank you.

It's our 88th birthday! 🎉 We are proud to be the world's leading professional body for the hospitality industry and to have been at the heart of global hospitality for 88 years. Find out more about why our members have said #imin to the Institute of Hospitality for 88 years. instituteofhospitality.org #88thBirthday #88Years #IoH #InstituteofHospitality @RBWR

@KeithPenelope3 @julesserkin @canterburycc @sewateruk @businessbunker Many thanks. And I'm very sorry to hear that.

@RBWR @julesserkin @canterburycc @sewateruk @businessbunker I’ll send it to you by DM. I am currently at a water queue.

@julesserkin @KeithPenelope3 @canterburycc @sewateruk @businessbunker Can I see a copy of this notice?

@KeithPenelope3 @canterburycc @sewateruk really ? This is peak time for business especially hospitality already struggling due to high energy , & staffing costs ? @RBWR @businessbunker

@RosieDuffield1 @julesserkin @canterburycc Likewise Rosie, I live in Canterbury but work internationally, the current volume of challenges hospitality has in the UK - and Canterbury - is obscene. I've forwarded a document to your office via Cerys Bear, and look forward to speaking with you next week.

@RBWR @julesserkin @canterburycc Looking forward to meeting you next week, am well aware of these issues, far too many incidents involving SEW lately. Local residents and businesses, and MPs absolutely sick to death of it now.

aldi sold out of still water ! bonkers it rained all winter - over building of huge housing estates & not one reservoir built - #Whitstable @canterburycc @RosieDuffield1 restaurants having to cancel bookings !£££ No water @RBWR any financial help for them ?

@BeatriceCloake @IoH_Online @wlv_uni Thank you!

@IoH_Online @wlv_uni Congratulations

We are proud to announce that our CEO, Robert Richardson FIH MI, is to be awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Hospitality by the @wlv_uni, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the global hospitality profession, leadership of the Institute of Hospitality, and commitment to advancing professional standards, education and inclusion across the sector. The honorary doctorate will be awarded by the University during its summer graduation ceremonies in late July. Congratulations from all the IoH Team and global #HospitalityFamily on this remarkable achievement! 🎉 To read the full story, please follow the link below. instituteofhospitality.org/robert-richard… #UniversityofWolverhampton #HospitalityLeadership #IoH #imin

@henal1973 @IoH_Online @wlv_uni Thank you Henal, that's very kind.

@IoH_Online @wlv_uni Congratulations 🙌🏼

Only in Manchester would I meet an astrophysicist who retrained to join the vibrant hospitality scene offered by this great city. That was just one of many takeaways from this week’s Institute of Hospitality networking event, where we asked the question: “What drives hospitality success in the North?” Thank you to my panellists, Sacha Lord FIH, Laura Green, Stewart Morrell MIH, and Jonathan Baillie, for such a valuable discussion covering the incredible diversity of talent, passion, and opportunity that continues to shape hospitality across the region, alongside the excitement surrounding Andy Burnham’s vision for not just the city, but the country. Following the event, it was a pleasure to catch up with our Chair, Martin Traynor OBE FIH, and @Sacha_Lord over dinner, discussing exciting future plans for our global #HospitalityFamily. Manchester is such a vital part of the UK’s hospitality and tourism industry, and it is always a huge pleasure to spend time with our members in this vibrant city. Thank you to my colleagues Aymen Fetouak MIH and Emma Ellis MIH, for managing this latest opportunity to meet our members in the North. #imin #MeetingOurMembers #Manchester #StrongerTogether

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Institute of Hospitality’s 2027 Annual Charity Golf Day, in collaboration with @TheBelfryHotel and our strategic partners, @ntiaofficial. 📅 Date: Thursday, 13 May 2027 ⛳️ Location: The Belfry Hotel & Resort, near Birmingham This event promises to be more than just a golf tournament, hosted at one of the UK’s most renowned golf resorts. 🌟18 holes of championship golf 🌟On-course competitions 🌟Evening garden party with BBQ and music 🌟Spa day package options 🌟Networking The proceeds will support the charitable work of the Institute’s Youth Council and Night Time Industries Association, which aids businesses across the UK’s vibrant night-time economy. Find out more instituteofhospitality.org/ioh-golf-day-2… #IoHGolfDay2027 #NTIA #HospitalityFamily #TheBelfry @RBWR

A pleasure to join Chair Stefan Micevski MBA FIH, the Hospitality Association York, Institute of Hospitality members, and the CEOs of UKHospitality and Hospitality Action, Allen Simpson and Mark Lewis FIH, alongside Institute of Hospitality Chair Martin Traynor OBE, FIH, MIoD, for the Hospitality Association York annual social. #HospitalityFamily #imin #MeetingOurMembers

@JRbooboo No argument from me Jane.

@RBWR The hospitality industry needs a sector specific VAT reduction ASAP

Full disclosure, for the majority of my career I’ve been an operator, and I know what it feels like to go to bed hoping tomorrow’s cash flow will enable you to pay tomorrow’s bills. My heart goes out to anyone experiencing the sleepless nights that come with running a business and being responsible for the livelihoods of their teams, and their families. This weekend held one ambition, dinner out at a restaurant that had been on the radar for a while. A restaurant that opened in 2016, and one that was only months away from celebrating its tenth anniversary. Ten years is a huge achievement for any business, let alone one operating under some of the highest cost burdens in Europe. Then, just two days before the booking, the restaurant closed with immediate effect. The rising costs associated with running a business in 2026 were, in the owner’s own words, the “cause of death”. Whilst patrons, myself included, are obviously saddened by the news, for the owners this is the end of a dream. For the team, it means livelihoods lost at a time when UK unemployment is at its highest level in years, with approximately 1.78 million people currently unemployed across the country. The owners are now filing for bankruptcy, their dream, shattered. As tragic, and arguably avoidable, as this story is, it is by no means unique. Across the UK, hospitality businesses are closing at an alarming rate, which pushes up our obscene unemployment rates each and every day. Last week’s local election results delivered an unambiguous message from voters, reflecting growing frustration around the rising cost of living, taxation, and economic uncertainty facing both individuals and businesses alike. Now, against this backdrop, a backdrop of a profession that feels its voice simply is not being heard despite being one of the UK’s greatest economic and social assets, we wait to see where government takes us next. It is a fact that hospitality is a force for good. It is an economic driver, a creator of opportunity, and one of the few professions where any person, from any background, can grow, develop, and thrive. When hospitality succeeds, communities succeed. When hospitality is supported, the wider economy benefits too. The organisation I lead has more members than some countries have populations, so I speak with authority when I say that even in difficult times, I remain optimistic about the resilience, determination, and spirit of our hospitality family. This profession of ours has faced enormous challenges before, and yet it continues to innovate, adapt, and inspire. As long as we are left able to do so. Hospitality matters, deeply, and it deserves not only to survive, but to thrive. #Hospitality #HospitalityFamily #HospitalityMatters #ChesterHospitality

@leonburton And that, in a nutshell, is the greatest part of working in our profession. Well said sir.

@RBWR Our hospitality family looks out for eachother ❤️

Every week I hear another story, a business closed, a dream shattered, and more hard working people becoming unemployment statistics. It is heartbreaking. And it was avoidable. No one takes pleasure from watching a Prime Minister forced from office, but spare a thought for those who lost their livelihoods along the way. gbpolitics.uk/tracker/