After UK’s Pubs U-Turn, Hotels and Cafes Warn of Tax ‘Nightmare’

When his food chain The Salad Project proved a hit with health-conscious customers following the pandemic, Florian de Chezelles had ambitious plans to conquer London.

That was until Rachel Reeves’ budget. Soaring business rates, a commercial property tax, that were confirmed in the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s November event have pushed the 31-year-old’s startup to slow its expansion in the UK capital and prioritize growth abroad instead.

“If you are a new business starting now and you’ve got to try and survive in the new business rate climate, there’s no way you’re growing at the pace at which we’ve ...