Jess Brown-Fuller MP Visits Woodmancote Pub

Jess Brown-Fuller MP visited the Woodmancote Pub in the village of Woodmancote earlier this month to meet managers Melody Newman and her partner Terry to discuss the challenges facing local pubs and the wider hospitality sector. 

During the visit, Jess heard directly about the pressures faced by small, independent pubs: from the impact of business rates and operating costs, to the struggle to maintain staffing and cover long opening hours, small hospitality businesses have been up against huge pressures over recent years. 

Jess Brown-Fuller MP at the Woodmancote Pub.  

Jess Brown-Fuller has repeatedly highlighted the vital role pubs play in community life and supporting the rural economy, such as at her recent visit to The Horse & Groom in East Ashling. She has also emphasised her personal experience, having run a restaurant and bar for four years, and knowing well the daily cost pressures which are faced by independent hospitality businesses. 

The Liberal Democrats have put forward practical policy solutions to help small pubs survive, including; correcting business rates anomalies so that large chains do not benefit at the expense of independent pubs, cutting VAT on food and drink served in pubs, social clubs, and brewery taprooms, and exempting hospitality SMEs from employer NIC increases. 

Jess said she was pleased to visit the Woodmancote Pub, remarking: 

“Pubs like the Woodmancote are more than businesses - they act as hubs for our local communities, bringing people together and keeping the rural economy alive. Having owned my own independent restaurant, I know all too well the struggles that hospitality faces and this has been compounded by the increase in business rates and employer national insurance contributions.  

I am committed to continuing to stand up for small, independent hospitality businesses across the whole of the Chichester constituency, and ensuring they get the support they need to thrive.”