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

Fast-food chain Leon has recently shut 15 stores.Photographer: Leon Neal/Getty Images

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.