Restauranter Robert Walton is calling on the Government to create a dedicated minister for hospitality, arguing it is 'beyond crazy' the UK's third largest employment sector does not have its own seat at the Cabinet table.

The campaign has attracted backing from some of the biggest names in British food, including Gordon Ramsay, Heston Blumenthal, and Adam Handling.

Speaking at the final of this week's Young Chef Young Waiter Young Mixologist (YYY) England competition, of which Walton is chairman, he said: 'I think it's absolutely crazy, beyond crazy, that as the third biggest employer in this country, we don't have a minister with even hospitality in the name.'

He argued the sector's inclusion under the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport demonstrates how little policymakers understand about hospitality's economic importance in the UK.

'So digital, culture, media and sport includes hospitality. It's absolutely bonkers,' Walton said.

Walton said hospitality could play a major role in tackling youth unemployment after a government report revealed nearly one million people aged between 16 to 24 are not in education or training (NEET). 

But Walton accused ministers of creating obstacles for businesses trying to recruit and train the next generation of workers.

He said: 'It's the perfect industry for young people. We don't care whether you're academic, we don't care whether you've been to university, we don't care what your background is, we don't care what your culture is. We just want you to want to work and smile. We'll teach you how to do the rest.

'Why the government aren't understanding how to help young people get into hospitality is beyond me.

'All they're doing is putting up more barriers.'

Walton pointed to several pressures facing the industry, including minimum wage increases, business rates, VAT, and National Insurance costs.  

In an Instagram post, he called on Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to meet with hospitality experts like himself who have the answers on how to 'sweep up' the one million young people currently unemployed.

Walton echoed the same grievances this week at the YYY England final and said: 'Whether it's minimum wage, whether it's rates, whether it's VAT – which is a big issue right now – or whether it's national insurance. They're just putting up more and more barriers.'

In regard to the policies that have been put in place to offer relief, Walton said these only prove Westminster's outdated understanding of the hospitality landscape.

He said: 'I can see them all sitting around a table and saying, "Let's reduce rates for pubs," because they think a pub is something like in the 1940s, where everyone goes for a pint.

'But pubs are not that. Pubs are gastro pubs, two Michelin-star pubs. So are these places a pub or a restaurant, because restaurants don't get rate relief?'

He added: 'They don't go out to restaurants, they don't understand.'

The campaign has won support from celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay who said: 'I’ve never seen it so bad. I think those of us in hospitality are lambs to the slaughter.'

Chef and restaurateur Adam Handling also backed Walton's concerns, saying: 'Looking after the future is the only way this industry is going to flourish.'

Meanwhile, Heston Blumenthal called for ministers to provide greater financial support.

He said: 'Hospitality is the heart of Britain's social fabric and the government should support them with a permanent VAT reduction.'

At Tuesday's England final, which was held at Peninsula London, Stephen Raymundo from Hartwell House Hotel & Spa was named Young Chef of the Year, while Alex Coward from Hide won Young Waiter of the Year and Juni Guthrie from Sexy Fish topped the mixologist competition. 

The three winners will come together again to represent England at the global final in February 2027. 

Daily Mail has contacted Department for Culture, Media, and Sport for comment.