UK business births: accommodation and food services
UK business births: accommodation and food services stood at 7,505 Businesses in Q2 2026, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS). It is one of the indicators in the Business births, deaths and companies table (Value · Quarterly), with a complete series running from Q1 2017 to Q2 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Business births, deaths and companies table
| Indicator | Q2-2026 | Q1-2026 | Q4-2025 | Q3-2025 | Q2-2025 | Q1-2025 | Q4-2024 | Q3-2024 | Q2-2024 | Q1-2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business births by industry | |||||||||||
| Accommodation and food services | 7,505 | 7,895 | 6,790 | 7,435 | 7,845 | 8,510 | 6,220 | 7,820 | 7,805 | 8,700 | |
| Production | 2,770 | 2,790 | 2,685 | 2,700 | 2,680 | 3,025 | 2,670 | 3,005 | 3,135 | 3,355 |
Understanding UK business births: accommodation and food services
Newly formed enterprises operating within hospitality, hotels, catering, restaurants, pubs, and mobile food services across the United Kingdom are counted in this specific segment. The dataset tallies commercial units initiating tax or payroll registrations, excluding informal catering providers and unregistered lifestyle ventures. This category exhibits distinct structural characteristics compared to capital-intensive manufacturing or remote services, reflecting lower initial setup costs alongside high rates of market entry and exit.
Reading these statistics requires careful handling of intense seasonal clustering, as new ventures frequently open ahead of spring and summer demand surges. Initial estimates are prone to substantial revisions because hospitality start-ups often experience rapid administrative adjustments during their first year of trading. Analysts must evaluate annual rather than sequential quarterly shifts to avoid misinterpreting predictable calendar cycles. Comparing hospitality births directly with financial sector figures can mislead, given the vast differences in capital requirements and regulatory hurdles.
Frequently asked questions
- Which specific venues are grouped inside accommodation and food services?
- Hotels, holiday parks, restaurants, cafes, pubs, takeaways, and catering contractors form this industry classification.
- Why do hospitality births display pronounced seasonal clustering?
- Operators intentionally time launches to capture peak tourist seasons and warmer weather demand.
- How do these figures differ from general business birth totals?
- They isolate consumer-facing hospitality ventures from all other UK commercial activities.