RUTHIN'S JD Wetherspoon pub will cut the price of all food and drink by 7.5 per cent for one day only later this month.

Prices at The Castle Hotel, on St Peter's Square, will be reduced on Thursday, September 14 to mark Tax Equality Day.

The aim of the offer is to highlight the potential benefits of a permanent VAT reduction in the hospitality industry.

For example, a customer spending £10 on food and drinks will pay only £9.25 on September 14.

All food and drinks in pubs are subject to 20 per cent VAT.

By comparison, supermarkets pay zero VAT on food and are able to use that saving to sell alcohol to customers at a discounted price.

Wetherspoon’s founder and chairman, Tim Martin, said: “The biggest threat to the hospitality industry is the vast disparity in tax treatment among pubs, restaurants and supermarkets.

“Supermarkets pay zero VAT in respect of food sales, whereas pubs and restaurants pay 20 per cent.

“This tax benefit allows supermarkets to subsidise the selling price of beer.

“Pubs have been under fantastic pressure for decades, because of the tax disadvantages which they have with supermarkets.

“It doesn’t make sense for the hospitality industry to subsidise supermarkets.

“Customers coming to Wetherspoon’s pubs on September 14 will find the price of their food and drinks to be lower than normal.

“We urge the chancellor to create tax equality between pubs and supermarkets.”