Wetherspoon founder and chairman Tim Martin has criticised Jamie Oliver’s campaign for higher taxes on soft drinks.
Mr Oliver has introduced a 10p tax on fizzy or sugary drinks in his restaurants and is calling on the government to introduce a tax on sugary drinks in the UK.
Mr Martin said: “ A new tax on soft drinks will cost pubs millions at a time when prices in pubs are already very high compared to supermarkets.
“Jamie Oliver runs restaurants which cater to an affluent clientele. He is either courting the favour of the elite or is badly out of touch with the majority of people.
“I believe that he should campaign for tax equality for pubs, restaurants and supermarkets, since pubs and restaurants pay 20 per cent vat on food sales, compared to zero for supermarkets.
“Showboating of this kind by Jamie Oliver will close pubs.”
Sales of non-sugar drinks increasing rapidly
Mr Martin pointed to the fact that Pepsi is now the company’s biggest selling draught product with 580,000 drinks served in the past seven days, of which 197,000 were Diet Pepsi.
Additionally in the same period Wetherspoon’s 950 pubs served almost one million coffees and teas, which were served sugar-free.
He said: “ Sales of non-sugar drinks in the non-alcoholic category are increasing at a rapid rate and are in the great majority, when you take into account coffee and tea.
“Customers already pay a lot for soft drinks when they go out and we don’t need another ‘big brother’ tax.”