I recently visited the Barratts Club in Northampton to meet the owner of the McManus Pub Company, Gary McManus.
McManus is a Northampton-based group that operates a number of local pubs, and the Barratts Club is a large pub that also operates as a snooker club.
I last visited the club in 2018 for a Disability Snooker open day, and it was excellent to return and meet Gary to discuss the hospitality industry generally.
The drinks market in the UK is worth tens of billions of pounds and employs thousands of people across the country - from the large breweries to those working pulling the pints behind the bar.
Many pubs have faced significant financial difficulties since the pandemic, and I was very pleased to see that alcohol duty has remained frozen in the recent budget, saving consumers money on their drinks.
(Photo: Sir Michael Ellis MP with businessman Gary McManus at the Barratts Club in Northampton)