Stelios is joined by Allen Simpson, CEO of UKHospitality, and Kate Nicholls, Chair of UKHospitality, for an open and detailed discussion on the pressures facing hospitality businesses across the UK.

The conversation explores business rates, rising rateable values, wage policy, VAT, employment reform and why many pubs, restaurants, hotels and fish and chip shops feel increasingly constrained. Allen and Kate explain how recent budget decisions have played out in practice, why promised reforms have fallen short, and what these policies mean for jobs, investment and long-term viability.

They also discuss wage compression, youth employment, apprenticeships and welfare-to-work schemes, alongside the importance of engaging directly with MPs rather than relying on social media to drive change.

Episode highlight powered by Ceres Heavy Duty Degreaser

Download your FREE copy of the Fish & Tips E-Book and boost your business today.

Ceres Facebook Page

Ceres Newsfeed

Ceres Podcast

📮Join the Ceres email list to keep updated and get monthly offers.

Stelios is joined by Giles Fuchs from Burgh Island Hotel for a grounded conversation about what it really takes to run a hospitality business when the pressure is real.

Giles shares lessons from building, losing, and rebuilding businesses, including why even a single customer can become your strongest long-term asset if you get the experience right. The discussion explores staffing costs, government policy, and the unintended consequences that hospitality operators feel first, long before they appear in headlines.

The episode also looks at trust, personal risk, and the mental load of being responsible for a business and the people in it. Giles explains how stoicism and preparation help him stay steady in uncertain conditions, offering a practical mindset rather than motivational slogans.

Episode highlight powered by Ceres Traditional Batter Mix

Download your FREE copy of the Fish & Tips E-Book and boost your business today.

Ceres Facebook Page

Ceres Newsfeed

Ceres Podcast

📮Join the Ceres email list to keep updated and get monthly offers.

In this Podsquad episode of The Ceres Podcast, Stelios Theocharous is joined by David Nicolaou and Mark Petrou for a frank conversation about the pressures fish and chip businesses are facing right now.

The discussion starts with real-world stories from the coalface, including a frozen bank account without warning and the serious consequences of a missed Companies House filing. Those experiences lead into a wider debate about risk, compliance, and why relying on government fixes such as VAT cuts is not a strategy for survival.

From there, the Podsquad tackles soaring cod prices, whether cod should still be the default choice on fish and chip shop menus, and how operators can adapt pricing and menus to protect margins without losing customers. It is an honest, practical discussion aimed squarely at owners and operators who want to focus on what they can control.

If you run a fish and chip shop or hospitality business, this episode offers clear thinking, lived experience, and straight-talking insight from people who understand the realities of the trade.

Episode highlight powered by Ceres Deep Fryer Cleaner

Download your FREE copy of the Fish & Tips E-Book and boost your business today.

Ceres Facebook Page

Ceres Newsfeed

Ceres Podcast

📮Join the Ceres email list to keep updated and get monthly offers.