He emphasizes that such reforms could enable pubs to save millions annually, allowing reinvestment in their businesses, creating jobs, and revitalizing local communities.

The sector has been hit hard by the reduction of pandemic relief from 75% to 40%, which has added an estimated £545 million in costs for over 252,000 hospitality businesses.

The British Beer and Pub Association predicts that 378 pubs will close in 2025, leading to over 5,600 job losses, with the closure rate expected to be over one pub per day.

The Labour Government has expressed intentions to reform business rates to create a fairer system, aligning with industry calls for support.

Mackenzie is requesting a £13.7 million annual saving through reforms, which could be reinvested into pubs to promote growth and employment.

Nick Mackenzie, CEO of Greene King, is calling for a complete overhaul of the business rates system for pubs, arguing that the current system is unfair and contributes to rising closures across the UK.

He advocates for a reform based on profits rather than property value, which would help alleviate the financial pressures faced by pubs.

Mackenzie highlights that pubs, which represent only 0.4% of rateable properties, pay 2.1% of the total business rates, indicating a disproportionate tax burden.

Greene King is urging the government to introduce a lower business rates multiplier for pubs, including a 20p discount in the upcoming Autumn Budget, and to revise how pub values are assessed during the 2026 revaluation.

Industry leaders agree that easing business rates could help sustain pubs at risk of closure, especially since the current system is based on property value, not profitability, which is unfair given rising operational costs.

Emma McClarkin from the BBPA warns that failure to reform the business rates system could cause irreversible damage to pubs and brewers across the UK.

In conjunction with these calls, Greene King has published its 'Growth on Tap' report, advocating for tax reforms to stimulate growth and job creation in the pub sector.