In lean times, hospitality branding isn’t about budget, it’s about clarity.
As hospitality businesses in the UK braces for tighter margins, and we all wait for the announcements in Chancellor’s upcoming Autumn Budget next week, it's more important than ever to think smart and stay consistent.
After the last Autumn Budget in October 2024, the Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) would rise. And in April 2025 NIC rates from 13.8 % to 15 %, and the threshold was lowered from £9,100 to £5,000. This was major hit for hospitality, part-time workers, flexible contracts, and tight labour margins were all exposed. Some estimates suggested the sector’s tax bill rose by £1 billion. When combined with changes to business rates and minimum wage the total additional burden to the sector is estimated to be £3.4 billion. The hospitality sector is under real strain, and it is precisely now when clarity in branding delivers the most value.
This isn’t just a cost; it is a call to rethink where you can get brand impact for your spend.
Here are 3 high-impact branding moves that make sense in hospitality, especially now:
1. Elevate the everyday touchpoints
Your branded napkins, coffee cups, greaseproof paper, logo stickers, these are more than functional. Each one is a small, repeated brand moment a chance to reinforce who you are and what your business stands for, every day. Your customers touch these things andtherefore they remember your brand.
2. Lean into consistency
In a sector where margins are under pressure, consistency is your friend. Make sure your logo, colours, and brand voice are repeated across all your consumables from packaging to in-store materials. That consistency builds trust, professionalism, and recognition without blowing your budget on expensive campaigns.
3. Improve perceived value through presentation
Presentation matters more than ever when people are watching what they spend.
A branded takeaway cup or a high-quality branded napkin doesn’t just look better, it feels better. That feeling translates into a premium perception, even if the cost per item is small
At CCR we have been supplying the hospitality sector for over three decades, and so I live and breathe the strain when the sector is hit. I truly believe that now, when costs are rising and margins are squeezed clarity, not complexity, wins.
Branding doesn’t have to be about spending more. It needs to be about spending thoughtfully.
If you’re in hospitality and preparing for the upcoming Budget, I’d love to talk through how to make your brand work harder for you with high-impact, low-cost moves that work.
By Kirsty Palmer
