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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Business
Ayokunle Oluwalana & Katie Weston

Cafe owner 'scared' as electricity bill more than doubles to £14,000 a year

A popular community-run cafe has seen its electricity bill more than double to a staggering £14,000 per year.

Once an underground car park filled with abandoned vehicles, Hill Station Cafe and Bar was set up by locals in Lewisham, south-east London 11 years ago.

The space has since evolved into a thriving daytime cafe that also offers food pop-ups, live music and comedy at night.

But the escalating cost-of-living crisis has left managing director Jacqui Shimidzu fearing for its future.

She told MyLondon : "The rising bills are really scary. I recently had to hire a cost controller who is tracking my costs to see if something goes up.

The cafe and restaurant was set up by locals 11 years ago (MyLondon WS)

"Our electrics have gone up from £6,000 to £14,000 a year, it's a massive jump.

"We had to put prices up and restructure our menu - at the moment we're okay but the question is how long?

"As well as worrying about bills, I've got to look after our staff's wellbeing as well. A lot of their landlords are increasing their rent, some are having to move and their mental health is being affected.

"There are a lot of different factors I've got to worry about."

In addition to these bills, Jacqui pays her staff the London Living Wage (£11.95 per hour) so that they can afford to live well too.

She said: "We have so many things here that are put on by the community.

Once an underground car park filled with abandoned vehicles, the space has evolved into a thriving daytime cafe (MyLondon WS)

"The things we sell in the shop are made by people who live within a two-mile radius, we have gigs, a pizza restaurant run by Jacob which does phenomenally well and whose first job was here."

Under her guidance, the cafe has grown into a place for everyone, whether it be families, gig-goers or locals helping out with events.

Jacqui added: "We are a family here and we have so many different events going on here constantly.

"Some of our staff members are a part of a band and they perform, we've had a Jazz jam, a young man walking in and playing the piano and that's the type of place we are. We want people to come and feel like it's their living room.

"Anybody that delivers a letter or parcel here is offered a free drink, that's the type of place here. Even as the area has started to get gentrified, we will always be for everyone.

"Our kitchen manager came from Poland when we first opened and she was a volunteer and now she's the Kitchen Manager. It's stuff like that I love.

"You do find different people coming into the area but we will remain how we are. We are a family team here. We try to keep it as real as we can.

"There are so many little stories with the people in here and I hope we can keep that going. There's a real network here and I feel like that is becoming rarer in London."

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