The owners of an award-winning Nottingham bakery have announced they will be 'stepping away' from the business as the cost of living crisis continues to bite. In a message to customers, Craig and Rosea Poynter said 'diminishing' family time was also among the reasons to hand over the reigns of The Bakehouse, in Sherwood.
The Mansfield Road cafe and bakery, which won Gold at the World Bread Awards, is set to close from Wednesday, August 31, but it is expected to be 're-opened by someone else' in a few weeks. In a statement, the owners said: "As the years have rolled by, The Bakehouse has demanded more and more of our time - in part due to covid, and the evolving cost of living crisis. But the thing we have noticed is that the time spent as a family has been diminishing
Read More: Sherwood residents taking second jobs and 'dreading' soaring energy costs
"When we started The Bakehouse we always said that we would only ever do it for as long as it worked for us as a family. The time has come where it is no longer working against the needs of our family.
"It is for that reason that we announce that we will be stepping away from The Bakehouse. We are forever grateful for the support and love the community has given us over the last 6 years."
Shoppers in Sherwood believe their high street remains 'strong' but there are concerns about the impact of rising rents, gas and electricity bills. Holly Farmer, 27, a sales assistant at gift shop Elefair, said: "We go for coffees regularly there, there are a lot of coffee shops in Sherwood and The Bakehouse is one of the better ones I’ve been to. I usually get a cappuccino and the owner [of Elefair] gets a flat white.”
Sharon Houston, 54, has visited the Bakehouse on many occasions. The nurse, who lives in the area, said: “It’s lovely in the Bakehouse, lovely staff and lovely customers too, I’ve been in the queue before and got chatting to other people so I’m glad it’s staying open but it is a shame that the owners are leaving.
“Sherwood is really really strong but with the cost of living and high rents, many businesses along this high street may be in the same position. Even though a lot of places are packed and you see people sitting outside, those places could still be really struggling.”
Bakehouse customer Tom Pearce, 24, who lives in Sherwood and works in the city centre, added: “It’s lovely here, I like that it’s dog friendly. I wish the owners luck. Hopefully whoever takes over won’t change too much because this is popular for a reason.”
Sarah Lloyd, 44, a full-time mum. Sarah tries to support as many local businesses as possible in Sherwood, where she’s lived for most of her life. She said: “It’s a shame that they’ve felt the need to leave especially with the cost of living being one of the reasons, the owners have done a good job with this place, I’ve been many times and I think a lot of people would agree, The Bakehouse is a part of Sherwood.”
READ NEXT:
Warning in Nottingham suburb that 'everyone is struggling' as cost of living increases
Martin Lewis urges energy customers to look at fixed tariffs as costs soar
NHS bosses warn of 'humanitarian crisis' as energy bills rocket
Energy bill hike puts the squeeze on Nottingham pubs and restaurants
Mum hospitalised after skipping meals to feed kids may have to start begging
