A pub company is cutting tax on some products and giving rewards back to customers in response to the tax hike and cut of winter fuel payments.
The Seafood Pub Company, which owns three sites in East Lancashire and another three across the county, has launched Tax-Free Mondays where they will be deducting the value of the VAT from their food as well as VAT and duty from all pints and half pints, large and regular glasses of wine, and double and single gins.
The company says this will happen every Monday until Chancellor Rachel Reeves announces her autumn budget on October 30.
The offer means a pint of Peroni will go down from £5.90 to £4.50, a large glass of house wine will be reduced from £8.10 to £6.33, and a single gin drops from £3.95 to £3.06.
Meanwhile, with VAT removed from food, haddock and chips with mushy peas and tartare sauce will cost £14.58 instead of £17.50, a 10oz ribeye steak with chips, mushrooms, tomato and watercress goes down from £29.95 to £24.96, and it will £12.46 instead of £14.95 for a sweet potato and red lentil curry with basmati rice, tender-steam broccoli and flatbread.
The company has also announced a longer-term scheme to reward their regulars – the SPC Membership, a loyalty programme that will allow customers to earn points for every pound they spend, all year round.
The scheme is free to join and open to everybody, allowing points to be earned on food, drink, and accommodation.
The more points built up and more frequent visits mean progression to Silver and Gold Membership status, where even more rewards and greater discounts are then available.
Just for signing up to SPC Membership, customers will earn a £5 voucher.
“Our regular guests are just as much a part of the family as the team at the Seafood Pub Company,” said managing director, Joycelyn Neve.
“We appreciate the loyal custom they show us all year round and we wanted to offer something back, both short and longer-term, to thank them.
“At a time when the cost of living is affecting everyone, removing taxes on our products every Monday to our members will hopefully encourage people to treat themselves to a meal or a few drinks with family and friends – and we will absorb the tax they would normally pay.”
The six Seafood Pub Company properties in Lancashire are The Alma Inn (Laneshawbridge), The Forest (Fence), The Derby Arms (Longridge), The Farmers Arms (Great Eccleston), The Fenwick (Claughton), and The Hesketh Arms (Rufford).
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