Reading comprehension Financial Pressures and Festive Spirit at Notting Hill Carnival Adapted from onestopenglish, “Financial Trouble in the Notting Hill Carnival: Food Festival Paradise.” -- Street-food vendors at the Notting Hill Carnival are scaling back their setups and adjusting their menus as soaring poultry prices and rising labour expenses put pressure on the UK’s hospitality industry. The two-day festival of Caribbean heritage, beginning on Sunday, attracts millions of revellers to west London every year, with numerous sound systems, steel-pan ensembles and vibrant masquerade groups filling the streets. However, several traders told the Financial Times that ongoing cost increases, combined with the government’s higher employer national insurance contributions, have forced them to reconsider how they operate this year. Annette Evans, co-owner of Jerk Hub, which has participated in the carnival since 2021, explained that the stall would reduce its workforce from 12 to six employees, opting to hire through an agency rather than directly, as a response to the rise in national insurance contributions. In addition, the business plans to replace boneless chicken thighs with more affordable bone-in cuts to cut expenses. Evans highlighted that chicken is their most popular item during the carnival, consumed in large quantities daily, and noted that this year the price per meal would increase to £15, compared to £14 last year and £10 four years ago. Diego Burton revealed that he would operate the Jerk Pon Da Corner food stall on his own this year, having had to reduce his usual team of five due to concerns over profitability. With poultry prices rising sharply, he has cut back on chicken offerings and intends to concentrate on serving curry goat instead. “I’m under quite a lot of stress,” Burton admitted. “Everything is becoming more expensive, and chicken costs have shot up.” Restaurants, pubs, and industry groups have sounded the alarm over rising employment expenses following the increase in employer national insurance contributions (NICs), announced in last October’s Budget and implemented in April. The NICs rate has climbed from 13.8% to 15%, with employers now liable for contributions on annual salaries starting at £5,000, down from the previous threshold of £9,100. Businesses have also been affected by soaring input costs; for instance, the retail price of fresh chicken has surged by over 46% — equivalent to £3.47 per kilogram — in the year leading up to August 2025, according to figures from major supermarkets compiled by the market research firm Assosia. Factors such as improved welfare provisions, rising labor processing costs, and EU–UK trade regulations have all contributed to this price hike. Several vendors also reported that the charges imposed by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, the local authority hosting the carnival, have increased significantly in recent years. According to the council, fees — which depend on the size and location of each stall — have risen on average by £2 per square metre annually to cover the costs of “toilets, safety inspections, and cleanup operations.” Notting Hill Carnival Ltd, the non-profit organisation responsible for running the event, did not provide an immediate response. The carnival, in its present-day incarnation, was established in 1966, following a parade organised by community leader Rhaune Laslett from Earl’s Court to Ladbroke Grove two years earlier. Its origins came in the wake of racial unrest and the racially motivated, still-unsolved murder of 32-year-old Antiguan carpenter Kelso Cochrane. Members of the “Windrush generation,” Caribbean migrants who settled in Britain during the last century, played a crucial role in shaping the carnival. Over the years, the vibrant parade and open-air sound system sessions — along with performances by artists such as Jay Z, Busta Rhymes, and Stormzy — have cemented the event as a significant cultural landmark in what has since become a gentrified, affluent neighbourhood. Dub Pan, a Caribbean food and beverage chain with six outlets across London, has opted not to participate in this year’s carnival, citing the rise in national insurance contributions and logistical challenges due to heightened policing. “National insurance is placing additional strain on our core operations,” explained Matin Miah, Dub Pan’s CEO, noting that “concerns over security and the team’s safety” were the primary reasons for the company’s absence, marking the first time in three years that it will not attend. Policing at the free, two-day festival continues to be a contentious issue. This weekend, the Metropolitan Police will reintroduce live facial recognition technology at the carnival for the first time since 2017, maintaining that “robust safeguards are in place” to prevent discrimination and protect human rights. A judicial review of the Met’s use of the technology is currently underway; earlier this week, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the UK’s equality watchdog, declared that the police’s deployment of the system was “unlawful.” Evans of Jerk Hub stated that, despite the financial challenges and criticism surrounding policing and safety at the carnival, maintaining a presence was essential. “The Windrush generation has come here and established themselves remarkably well. Losing that simply due to rising ingredient costs would be regrettable,” she explained. “Preserving our culture is extremely important to us.” Are these sentences True or False according to the information in the article? Write True or False next to the sentences.
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