Business

Restaurant boss says minimum wage rise ‘disaster waiting to happen’ for hospitality

Published

2 weeks ago

November 25, 2025

“If people – politicians, decision makers, landlords, councillors – don’t start understanding just how fragile this sector is becoming, the places they love simply won’t be here in a year or two.”

A LEADING Milford Haven publican has warned that next year’s minimum wage increase could push many Pembrokeshire pubs and restaurants “off a cliff”, saying the hospitality sector can no longer absorb rising costs.

Dan Mills, owner of Martha’s Vineyard on the Milford waterfront, said the decision to raise the National Living Wage to £12.71 an hour from April will hit small independent businesses hardest at a time when margins are already under intense pressure.

The rise is part of the UK Government’s plan to boost the earnings of lower-paid workers. But Mr Mills said the cumulative effect of wage rises, tax changes and energy prices was becoming unsustainable.

‘We can’t just absorb the cost’
Reacting to the announcement, Mr Mills said the assumption that hospitality businesses can simply absorb rising costs “couldn’t be further from the truth”.

“We’re already running on margins that get smaller by the month, and this government seems determined to squeeze every last drop out of us,” he said.

“Energy costs are going up, ingredients are going up, rents are going up, business rates are going up and VAT is absolutely crippling the industry. Meanwhile our customers, real people, families, are already struggling under the weight of this government in their everyday lives. We can only pass on so much before they simply stop coming out.”

Concerns for local suppliers
Mr Mills stressed that the impact would not fall solely on pubs and restaurants but also on their wider supply chain – including Pembrokeshire’s farmers, fishermen and local producers.

“Hospitality isn’t some faceless industry,” he said. “It’s my team, it’s our local suppliers, it’s the farmers who raise the beef and grow the potatoes, the fishermen who land the lobsters, the families who choose to spend their hard-earned money with us. It’s our town, county and community.”

He said pubs and restaurants could adapt and innovate, “as we always do here”, but warned that rising fixed costs were pushing the sector towards breaking point.

***More costs for businesses is ‘economic suicide’, Dan Mills warned on Tuesday***

‘Driven off a cliff’
“This is bordering on economic suicide for small businesses like mine, and thousands of others who are the backbone of our communities,” he said.

“If people – politicians, decision makers, landlords, councillors – don’t start understanding just how fragile this sector is becoming, the places they love simply won’t be here in a year or two.”

He added that for him the issue was not political but personal: “It’s livelihoods and it’s our community. And right now, it feels like we’re being driven off a cliff.”

Pembrokeshire context
Hospitality is one of the biggest employers in Pembrokeshire, with tourism-related businesses making up a major part of the local economy. Industry groups have warned previously that continued above-inflation wage rises, coupled with VAT pressures and energy costs, risk causing closures over the next two years.

Responding to the Chancellor’s announcement, The Society of Independent Brewers and Associates Chief Executive Andy Slee said cost of living pressures were real, but the burden of implementing wage rises fell hardest on small employers.

“Cost of living pressures are very real for people and we all want to see living standards rise. However, the responsibility of delivering wage increases is most felt by small businesses, including small independent breweries who are already facing significant pressures,” he said.

“We have lost more than 100 breweries in the past year and more tell us they are on the edge. If they close, there won’t be any jobs at all.”

Mr Slee added that the removal of age-based pay bands failed to reflect the additional training and development required for younger workers entering the sector.

“Brewing is a skilled job and we want to encourage more young people to enter the sector, but continuing to close the aged-based pay gap does not take account of the additional training and development that young people need,” he said.

He urged the Chancellor to use tomorrow’s Budget to support the industry by expanding Draught Relief.

“Tomorrow’s Budget is the opportunity for the Chancellor to offset these challenges for breweries by expanding the Draught Relief to 20% or more. This would mean that beer mostly sold in pubs has a lower rate of beer duty, bringing benefits to beer drinkers and small breweries around the country.”

The Treasury said the new rates aim to balance “the needs of workers, the affordability for businesses and the opportunities for employment”.

The minimum wage rise will come into effect in April 2026.

Business

‘Funky’ Kilgetty holiday lodge development refused

Published

7 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A SECOND call to keep a ‘funky’ holiday lodge in woods near a Pembrokeshire village, previously turned down partly over a dispute on what constitutes a caravan, has been refused again.

In an application refused by Pembrokeshire County Council planners in June, Greg Baker, through agent Hayston Developments & Planning Ltd, sought retrospective permission for the creation of a second tourism unit with a bespoke fixed holiday lodge/hot tub with parking area at Cabin in The Woods, near Woodcocks House, Carmarthen Road, Kilgetty.

Work started on the scheme in April 2023.

A supporting statement through Hayston Developments & Planning Ltd said: “The current application presents a scheme to provide a second bespoke holiday unit on land in our client’s ownership. The application for a second holiday let unit is in response to demand for more ‘funky’ holiday accommodation in Pembrokeshire and the popularity of the Kilgetty area, it being central to many visitor attractions in the county.”

It said a previous 1998 application, Woodberry Cottage, has operated as a holiday let for a number of years, adding: “This remains the case and as such, the proposal is still intended to extend and complement the existing holiday letting business on the site.”

The application was refused by county planners on the grounds the scheme “is for self-catering accommodation in the form of a cabin, on the basis of information submitted with the application, this is considered to be a caravan rather than built development, as there is no robust information to demonstrate that it is permanently fixed to the ground”.

It was also refused on the grounds of being in a countryside location outside of any defined settlement boundary.

Since then, a fresh application aimed at addressing the reasons for refusal was submitted, saying works had been carried out making the lodge a fixed structure.

“Our clients have provided further information to support the claim that the holiday lodge is indeed fixed to the ground and not moveable and with the fixed decking it also clearly goes over the maximum size of a caravan,” the statement said.

It also said the development was an extension to an existing holiday business rather than one in the open countryside.

An officer report, recommending refusal, said the authority was “of the opinion that the chassis on which the cabin is built is still only bolted to the timber plates attached to the metal poles and therefore could potentially be unbolted to enable the removal of the cabin.”

It was again refused on the basis it “is considered to be a caravan rather than built development, as there is no robust information to demonstrate that it is permanently fixed to the ground,” and “The application site is located in a countryside location outside of any defined settlement boundary.”

Business

Extra £2.5m boost for Wales’ creative industries

Published

12 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Funding to strengthen film, TV and publishing sectors

THE WELSH GOVERNMENT has announced a further £2.5 million for Wales’ creative industries, delivering fresh investment for the film and television sector and extra support for publishers facing ongoing financial pressures.

Creative Wales currently supports more than 3,500 businesses, employing over 35,000 people. The latest figures show the industry generated £1.5 billion in turnover during 2023 – up more than ten per cent on the previous year.

The additional funding comes shortly after the Government confirmed £2 million for Bad Wolf to deliver two new high-end TV productions, a move expected to generate £30 million of economic activity in Wales.

Since Creative Wales was launched, the Welsh Government has now committed £33.8 million across 70 productions, resulting in £419.7 million of investment back into the Welsh economy.

Wales’ creative strengths were showcased this week at the Wales Investment Summit, and again on Friday when the British-Irish Council placed “Creative” at the centre of its discussions.

Culture Minister Jack Sargeant said Wales had every reason to be proud of its creative talent.

He said: “The creative industries are a real success story for Wales. Whether it’s actors, storytellers, musicians, animators or games developers, our creative industries consistently put our nation on the global stage.

“Not only is the industry an important economic driver, but we are fostering the next generation of creatives by incentivising training and apprenticeship opportunities. We are committed to nurturing talent, supporting creative businesses and encouraging the creation of high-quality content that stands tall among other countries.”

Business

RM Training and Security Solutions shortlisted for major UK festival industry awards

Published

1 day ago

December 6, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Support service and supplier categories recognise Milford Haven firm’s work with outdoor events

RM TRAINING and Security Solutions Ltd has been shortlisted for two national honours at the Festival Supplier Awards 2026, placing the Pembrokeshire-based company among the top outdoor-event service providers in the UK.

The finalists were announced this week ahead of the awards ceremony, which will take place on Thursday, 29 January 2026, at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in central London. The annual event celebrates the teams and suppliers who deliver festivals and large-scale outdoor events across Britain.

RM Training and Security Solutions has been named a finalist in two categories — Best Support Service (Training) and Best Supplier — recognising its growing reputation for high-quality training provision, professional standards, and reliable on-the-ground event support.

Now in their eleventh year, the Festival Supplier Awards have become a staple of the industry calendar, providing a platform for companies to showcase innovation, specialist expertise and sector-leading achievements.

Event director Michelle Tayton said the standard of entries this year had been exceptional.

“Once again, we’ve been blown away by both the volume and calibre of entries for the Festival Supplier Awards,” she said. “Our finalists really highlight the creativity, capability and capacity that exists within the outdoor event industry. Making the shortlist is an achievement in itself and RM Training and Security Solutions Ltd has been recognised for its hard work and ability to deliver.”

Entries are judged by a panel of high-profile industry professionals, including representatives from Live Nation, IMG, London Marathon Events, CarFest, Engine No.4, Stable Events, and other major UK organisers.

The ceremony and gala dinner will take place in London on Thursday, 29 January 2026.