Sectors
Food & Drink Organisations
Specialist financial advice to help food and drink producers and operators protect their margins, manage supply chain risks, and scale with confidence.
Driving profitability across the food and drink supply chain
The food and drink sector is a dynamic yet demanding environment, where success depends on the fine margins between rising input costs and operational excellence. Whether you are scaling an artisan production facility or managing a high-volume restaurant group, the challenges of 2026—from legislative shifts to supply chain volatility—require more than just traditional accounting; they require strategic foresight.
At Armstrong Watson, we provide the technical authority and industry-literate advice necessary to protect your profitability. We act as a professional partner to your management team, ensuring that your financial systems are as robust as your product. From complex tax reliefs to digital transformation, we help you build a resilient, high-performing enterprise.
Common questions & practical concerns
Expert answers to the evolving financial, legislative, and operational challenges facing food, drink, and hospitality businesses across the UK.
The legislation mandates that 100% of tips and service charges must be distributed to staff by the end of the following month, with no administrative deductions. We assist you in establishing a formal, compliant Tronc scheme, which provides the necessary transparency to satisfy HMRC and can significantly reduce National Insurance liabilities for both the employer and the employee.
Protecting your GP requires frequent, data-driven menu engineering. We help you integrate your EPOS data with financial reporting to track real-time ingredient costs. This allows for proactive price adjustments or recipe modifications, ensuring your margins remain resilient even as supply chain costs fluctuate.
If your business is investing in technical improvements—such as developing new preservation methods, creating "free-from" alternatives without compromising texture, or automating bespoke production lines—you may be eligible. We handle the technical claim process to ensure you receive the maximum tax relief available for your innovation.
While the previous 40% relief is expiring, a new permanent lower multiplier is being introduced for properties with a rateable value below £500,000. We provide the financial modelling to help you understand your new liability and ensure you are accessing all available transitional relief during this shift in the rating system.
Often, the cost of a virtual finance function is lower than that of a part-time bookkeeper plus the time an owner spends on admin. Our service provides high-level financial oversight and automated daily reporting, giving you the professional insights of a Finance Director without the executive salary, which is vital for maintaining tight control over operational spend.
Get in touch
Get in touch to speak to one of our specialist advisers and explore how we can help you.
Find your local office
Visit your local office. To find your nearest office just enter your town or city below.
What our clients say
We're committed to delivering the best client experience. Hear from those who have worked with us and discover how we've helped them achieve their goals.
If Bruce and I come up with an idea, Armstrong Watson is like a sounding board. Grant will sit down and he’ll say ‘what about this?’ I used to see accountants as a bit up-tight, a bit beige – they’re not like that. A lot of accountants you’re just a number, but Armstrong Watson understand the people behind those figures and the passion they have for what they’re doing.
Bruce and Luke
Carlisle
We use Armstrong Watson for all our VAT, Payroll and other accounting needs due to the excellent advice we recieve. Grant Smith is more than just an accountant, he gives sound practical business advice and and we value that.
Helen Mullinder
Owner at the Sandwich Club, Carlisle
'I was very 'raw' in a sense, not having started up my own business before. Armstrong Watson told me everything I needed to know and held my hand throughout the process. By introducing me to other clients who had been through the same process, it gave me confidence in my abilities and that little push I needed to make the business succeed. I trust the team implicitly and could not have done it without them. I never thought I could become good friends with my accountant but it has happened and I’m pleased that I’m with such a forward thinking firm.'
Vicky Houseman
Doyly’s tearooms
Case studies
Client story
Pre-liquidation sale of assets by directors
Client story
