‘Tax break tart’: hospitality tipped to exploit summer VAT cut on children’s meals

The temporary VAT cut on children's meals has sparked a wave of creative, and sometimes whimsical, menu offerings from restaurants and pubs, with one venue even charging £25 for a “kids’ menu” featuring snails and anchovy butter toast. This move by the chancellor aims to boost the hospitality sector during the summer months, but it’s also drawing criticism for being seen as overly extravagant. The initiative highlights the ongoing tension between government efforts to stimulate the economy and the practical realities faced by businesses.