Customers will be able to enjoy discounted food and drink at Warwick's Wetherspoon this Thursday (September 18) as the chain runs a nationwide 'tax equality' campaign.

The pub chain is offering a 7.5 per cent discount in all its pubs to "highlight the benefit of a permanent VAT reduction in the hospitality industry".

It means on 'Tax Equality Day', a meal and drink costing £10 at the Thomas Lloyd will instead come to £9.25.

Currently, pubs, bars and restaurants pay 20 per cent VAT on all food and drink sales, while supermarkets pay zero VAT on food, enabling them to sell alcohol at lower prices.

Wetherspoon's founder and chairman, Tim Martin, said the price cut is designed to show how much difference a VAT reduction could make to customers and the wider industry.

"The biggest threat to the hospitality industry is the vast disparity in tax treatment among pubs, restaurants and supermarkets," he said.

"Supermarkets pay zero VAT in respect of food sales, whereas pubs, bars and restaurants pay 20 per cent. This tax benefit allows supermarkets to subsidise the selling price of beer.

"Pubs have been under fantastic pressure for decades because of this imbalance. It doesn't make sense for the hospitality industry to subsidise supermarkets.

"A VAT cut to 12.5 per cent is needed to ensure that pubs, bars and restaurants do not continue to close, but instead thrive, invest and create new jobs."

Martin added that customers visiting Wetherspoon pubs on 18 September will "find the price of their food and drinks to be lower than normal" and called on the chancellor to "create tax equality between the hospitality industry and supermarkets".