A VIEW FROM THE BOARD - EAMON MCCUSKER

11 September 2025

“It was easy to criticise from the outside looking in”

Eamon McCusker (AM:PM & Chubby Cherub)

Having recently joined the board of Hospitality Ulster, I have realised that it was easy to criticise from the outside looking in and to be frustrated when it felt like nobody was listening, but since joining, I’ve seen just how difficult it is to get government to engage meaningfully with our sector. What I had thought was a straightforward case for support is in fact a highly complex and demanding process, involving rigorous data, compelling evidence, and persistent lobbying. Change doesn’t happen overnight — and it certainly doesn’t happen without proof and perseverance.

As we all know, a confluence of outside factors has made 2025 the most difficult year of trading for hospitality businesses since the height of the Covid pandemic. Without wanting to doom and gloom about the industry’s prospects, as an operator of Belfast city centre venues, I can attest to this being the most challenging period I’ve faced — largely due to a dramatically increased operational cost base.

The damage done by the UK Government’s decision to lower the threshold for Employer National Insurance contributions, increase the percentage on those contributions, and raise the National Minimum and Living Wages simultaneously has been well documented, but it bears repeating: these cost increases have heaped pressure on an industry that was already stretched to breaking point.

Hospitality in Northern Ireland already carried the highest cost base across Britain and Ireland. Add to that the fact that we were the only region not to receive targeted Covid supports, and you start to see how today’s issues have been years in the making. What makes this more frustrating is that hospitality here has real potential – and still, despite all challenges, our operators are delivering outstanding service across the region. But with every passing policy shift, more is taken out of the pot.

Being on the board has completely changed my perspective. I’ve seen firsthand the immense work being done behind the scenes: helping individual members with urgent issues, gathering the data we need to influence policy, and continuously developing the support systems and skill-building opportunities our industry relies on.

To see the work that goes into the amount of evidence needed to make governments listen along with the other work Hospitality Ulster does – from helping individual members with their issues to working on industry supports and designing and delivering courses for staff upskilling – has been eye-opening. It's a steep learning curve, but it has reaffirmed my belief that only by working together can we make progress.

Despite all the gloom and challenges, I have been impressed at the dedication of the Hospitality Ulster Board members, which is made up of other hospitality business from across the province, who remain determined to drive forward our case. Even when the door is slammed in our face, they regroup and look at an alternative way to achieve our goals.

There is some very interesting work being done by the team on VAT and the Windsor Framework, and on business rates that will be published soon. One thing I have learned, is that the time and effort that regularly goes into challenging proposed legislation or stopping stuff that would make conditions even worse is immense.

My biggest takeaway? Every member — whether running a pub, club, restaurant, or hotel — is battling the same set of problems. But with unity comes strength and that sense of unity is what I’ve found since stepping into this role. It’s something I never fully appreciated from the outside. We are being taxed out of existence, and only by standing together — as Northern Ireland’s fourth-largest private sector employer — can we force the kind of change our industry so desperately needs.