Hospitality sector: mini-budget judged a missed opportunity to help

Both the duty freeze and the extension of ‘draught relief’ to smaller kegs was broadly welcomed by the beer industry. Photograph: Dan Grytsku/Alamy

The chancellor’s freeze on alcohol duty has gone down well with the beer industry, but the wider hospitality sector lamented a lack of announcements on help for hard-pressed pubs, restaurants and bars as they wrestle with the cost of living crisis.

In a mini-budget that outlined his growth-above-all approach to Britain’s finances, Kwasi Kwarteng froze duty on beer, cider, wine and spirits for a year, as well as pushing ahead with controversial plans to overhaul how the tax is applied.