'Don't forget us' - Dorset pubs hopeful ahead of Budget 2021

Dorset's pubs are hoping they won't be forgotten when Chancellor, Rishi Sunak announces his budget today.

Public sector pay and the national living wage have all been teased ahead of the Chancellor's speech, but there's yet to be any mention of the hospitality industry.

Many Dorset landlords are worried about rising cases in the county and the possibility of an end of year lockdown or further restrictions if cases prove unmanageable.

Pubs have only been fully open for a handful of the past 19 months, and industry representatives say landlords are looking for hope today.

Dave Harris from the West Dorset Campaign for Real Ale told Greatest Hits Radio Dorset:

"I think they're looking for the assurance that someone's got their back, that there's some thinking gone on about how to continue to help the businesses to survive the next period of uncertainty.

"I think that during the winter we're going to have a more difficult situation simply because the levels of infection and people's twitchiness."

Mr Harries says there's no one size fits all solution due to the varying situations across the industry; some pubs have no outdoors seating, others no indoor seating.

"So what they need in the budget is something that says 'okay, we understand your situation, here is something that makes it a bit more palatable, a bit more manageable, and perhaps a bit more in it for you than you've had over the last year."

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.

• budget 2021
• hospitality
• Pubs
• west dorset campaign for real ale