14/05/2026
An open letter to the Scottish and UK Government from a small independent restaurant owner
I don’t usually write posts like this, but I feel I need to say something — not just for Anderson’s, but for small hospitality businesses across Scotland and the UK.
We are a small, family-run independent restaurant in the Highlands. We employ local people, train young staff, support suppliers, welcome visitors, serve our community, and try our best to keep going through the highs and lows of a seasonal rural business.
But the truth is, hospitality is being squeezed from every direction.
Food costs have risen.
Wages have risen.
Energy costs have risen.
Insurance, repairs, licences, waste, rent, card fees, software fees, accountancy fees — everything has gone up.
VAT takes a huge chunk of every sale.
PAYE and employer costs keep climbing.
And the quiet months are becoming harder and harder to survive.
People see a busy Saturday night and think, “They must be doing well.”
But what they don’t see is what sits behind that. The tax bills. The supplier bills. The loan repayments. The winter losses. The overdraft. The sleepless nights. The pressure of keeping staff employed when the numbers barely work.
And behind the business is a family.
Like so many small business owners, we are trying to support a young family at the same time. Household costs have risen too — food, fuel, mortgage/rent, electricity, clothes, school costs, everything. We are working more hours, taking more stress, carrying more risk, and often earning less than the people we employ.
We are not working harder to thrive anymore.
We are working harder just to survive.
That cannot be right.
Small hospitality businesses are not asking for special treatment so we can make huge profits. We are asking for a fair chance to keep our doors open.
We need proper help.
We need VAT reform for hospitality.
We need tax breaks for small independent businesses.
We need business rates support.
We need help with employer costs.
We need energy support.
We need government to understand that rural, seasonal hospitality cannot be treated the same as large national chains.
Restaurants, cafés, pubs and takeaways are not just places to eat. They are employers. They are training grounds for young people. They support local suppliers. They bring visitors into villages and towns. They create community. They give places their character.
But if things continue as they are, there will be none of us left.
Every time a small restaurant closes, a community loses more than a business. It loses jobs, opportunity, gathering places, tourism, supplier income and local identity.
We love what we do. We love feeding people. We love welcoming locals and visitors. We love being part of Boat of Garten and the wider Cairngorms community.
But love does not pay VAT.
Love does not pay wages.
Love does not pay energy bills.
Love does not keep a roof over a family’s head.
Small hospitality businesses are dying in plain sight.
Please listen. Please act. Please help before it is too late.
Steve Anderson
Anderson’s Restaurant
Boat of Garten
Inspired by John Mountain of FYRE Restaurant, because whether people agree with his delivery or not, he is highlighting something very real.
Small independent hospitality businesses are struggling to survive under the weight of VAT, rising costs, wages, energy, card fees and endless pressure.
This is not just one restaurant. This is an industry-wide crisis.
Hospitality needs support now, before there are none of us left.
MacDonald MP
Government
Government
Treasury
Highland Council
Forbes MSP
Swinney
Reeves
Starmer
Sarwar
Hospitality Group
of Small Businesses - FSB
Restaurant By Chef John Mountain
