Specialist hospitality accountants serving restaurants, bars, cafés, hotels and everything in between across Winchester and Hampshire. We understand the pressures of the industry — from tight margins and seasonal cash flow to tips legislation and complex VAT rules.
Complex food & drink VAT rules handled correctly from day one
Full compliance with the 2024 tips & tronc legislation
Variable, part-time and seasonal workforces managed with ease
Cash flow forecasting to navigate slow seasons confidently
The hospitality sector comes with its own set of financial complexities. Here's what we keep a close eye on for every client in the industry.
Temporary 5% VAT rate on children's meals — effective 25 June to 1 September 2026
HMRC has introduced a temporary reduced VAT rate of 5% (down from 20%) on children's meals served and consumed on-premises at restaurants, cafés and similar hospitality venues. To qualify, meals must be marketed and priced specifically as children's meals — takeaway and meals accompanied by alcohol are excluded. Family attraction tickets marketed as family packages also qualify. If this applies to your business, your Xero setup and VAT returns will need updating before 25 June. Get in touch and we'll handle it.
Hospitality VAT is notoriously complex. Hot vs cold food, eat-in vs takeaway, alcohol vs soft drinks — each attracts different VAT rates. From 25 June 2026, a temporary 5% rate applies to on-premises children's meals marketed specifically as such. Getting this right is critical — it's one of HMRC's most common hospitality audit areas.
High PrioritySince October 2024, employers are legally required to pass 100% of tips to workers. We'll set up or review your tronc scheme to ensure full compliance — and make sure your team is treated fairly and correctly.
Legal RequirementHospitality often means large numbers of part-time, zero-hours and seasonal staff. We manage your payroll accurately — including minimum wage compliance, holiday pay calculations and pension auto-enrolment.
OngoingKnowing your food and drink margins in real time is essential. We produce monthly management accounts so you always know where your money is going — and where you can improve profitability.
MonthlySummer peaks and winter lulls can put serious strain on cash flow. We build rolling forecasts so you can plan ahead, manage stock, staffing levels and tax payments without nasty surprises.
PlanningAre you claiming all the rates reliefs available to you? We'll make sure you're not overpaying on business rates and that any eligible relief schemes — including hospitality-specific support — are fully utilised.
SavingsMTD for Income Tax is being extended to more businesses. We handle all quarterly digital submissions through Xero, keeping you compliant without adding to your workload.
ComplianceFood waste, supplier price increases and portion control all affect your bottom line. We work with your Xero data to give you a clear picture of cost of goods sold and where margins can be protected.
ProfitabilityWe prepare your statutory accounts and corporation tax return, making sure all allowable deductions specific to hospitality — equipment, fit-out costs, lease costs — are correctly claimed.
AnnualAll packages include a Xero subscription (our recommended software) and are built around the specific needs of hospitality businesses — not a generic off-the-shelf service.
Hospitality pricing reflects the additional compliance complexity of the sector — VAT rules, tronc, payroll and cash flow planning are all included as standard. View our standard packages →
Every hospitality client gets a Xero chart of accounts set up specifically for the industry — with separate tracking for food revenue, drink revenue, service charges and labour costs so your numbers always make sense.
We're not a generalist firm that happens to take on restaurant clients. We understand the industry's specific pressures and work proactively to keep your finances sharp.
You run a busy operation. The last thing you need is an accountant who blinds you with technical language. We give it to you straight — numbers that make sense, advice you can act on.
When you need us, we're there. We know the hospitality industry doesn't run 9 to 5, so we make sure our response times reflect the pace of your business.
We don't wait until January to think about your tax bill. We flag issues early, identify savings opportunities and help you make decisions based on real, up-to-date numbers.
You deal directly with a Chartered Accountant — not a rotating door of juniors. We know your business, your margins and your seasonality because we built that knowledge from day one.
Book a free 30-minute call. We'll talk through your business, where you're at, and how we can take the financial pressure off your plate.