Labour MP Jonathan Reynolds has welcomed the Government’s new £10 million Hospitality Grant Scheme, saying the investment will help new businesses get started, expand training opportunities and generate growth across the country.
The three-year scheme, launched by the Government on Wednesday, will support independent pubs, family-run restaurants and neighbourhood cafés, as well as projects designed to bring vacant premises back into use and help people build careers in hospitality.
Backing the announcement on X, Reynolds said:
“This scheme is so important. Money will be invested into projects that help get new hospitality businesses up and running, support training programmes, and generate growth in every postcode.”
The £10 million fund will invest in projects supporting new hospitality ventures and training programmes, including initiatives aimed at helping people gain the skills and experience needed to enter employment and progress in the sector.
More than £3 million has been earmarked for Pub is The Hub, the independent non-profit organisation which helps pubs in rural, remote and deprived communities diversify their offer. Previous projects have included village shops, community cafés, play areas and arts and crafts facilities.
The wider scheme builds on a pilot programme which supported more than 70 rural pub projects, two hospitality training facilities in prisons and an innovation hub bringing hospitality businesses together with technology companies to improve productivity.
Minister for the Future of Work Kate Dearden said hospitality businesses were places “where communities come together” and an important source of first jobs, adding that the funding would help businesses grow and support opportunities across the UK.
The announcement forms part of Labour’s broader support for the hospitality sector. The Government has also confirmed that pubs, clubs and live music venues are set to receive a 20 per cent reduction in their business rates bills from April, with the typical pub expected to save around £1,000 next year.
Applications to the Hospitality Grant Scheme are expected to begin being received from the end of September.
Reynolds’ intervention highlights Labour’s argument that supporting hospitality is not only about protecting valued pubs, cafés and restaurants, but also about creating jobs, revitalising high streets and putting small businesses at the heart of local economic growth.
