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

Freeze on alcohol duty welcomed, but lack of new measures to support struggling businesses disappoints

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.