Rick Stein: 'Think restaurants are a way to print money? You try it!'

Rick Stein: "Think restaurants are a way to print money? You try it!"

The renowned chef Rick Stein spoke with Graeme Green about his views on MasterChef, local criticism, and the future of the restaurant industry at Christmas time.

Childhood Memories

Among all the Christmas gifts Stein received as a boy, one stands out in memory. He recalls:

“One year, I was given a push-pedal car. I was still tiny, and we were living in the Cotswolds. You sat in the car and pushed the two pedals, and went round and round the sitting room in it. I loved it.”

Those early, carefree days were simpler and happier.

Challenges in the Hospitality Industry

Now, more than seventy years later, Stein says that he’s hoping for a much different kind of present — not from Santa, but from Keir Starmer. As he puts it:

“A moratorium on VAT would be good.”

Stein highlights that the hospitality industry is in crisis — over 80,000 jobs have been lost this year alone. He believes the government’s efforts to increase revenue through higher taxation and National Insurance have unintentionally slowed growth.

“If you’re faced with ever-increasing taxes, you’re going to cut back on labour wherever you can. You’re certainly not going to hire people unless you absolutely need to.”

Stein adds that while he acknowledges the country's financial strain, he considers it damaging to target already vulnerable sectors like hospitality. In his words, hospitality is too often viewed as a secondary contributor to the national economy, even though tourism and dining are major drivers of wealth and employment.

Author’s Summary

Rick Stein reflects on his childhood joy and pleads for government relief for the struggling hospitality sector, warning that taxation threatens the heart of the UK’s tourism economy.

London Evening Standard — 2025-11-06