Five years ago, my wife Becky and I opened Copper & Ink, a small restaurant in the village of Blackheath in south east London. We wanted to offer the local community a place to enjoy fine food, good wine, and friendly service.
We didn’t know then that there would soon be a global pandemic, that the UK would leave the EU, or that the country would be plunged into a cost-of-living crisis, all of which would inevitably spell the end for our small business.
As I write this, I’m grieving the loss of what became my life and soul. Copper & Ink was more than just a restaurant. We made memories with our amazing team and guests. We were there to celebrate their birthdays, their anniversaries, new jobs and even our own wedding, which we held in the dining room.
So I’m devastated that our staff, who had become members of our family over the years, have all had to find new jobs and start their careers again. I’m devastated that the village has lost a hub for people to come to eat and laugh and share memories. And I’m heartbroken that my wife and I will need to rebuild after losing everything that we've put into the business after five hard years.
But this isn’t just about us. Across the country, there have been record closures of restaurants, pubs and cafés. Last year, the number of licensed venues dropped below 100,000 for the first time in 20 years.
When we announced our closure it was on the same day that another high profile business, Simon Rimmer’s Greens, also announced it would shut. And that’s just two of us with a sizable voice. As the kind messages poured in, I also heard of a dozen others that made the difficult decision to cease trading this week.
I’m devastated that the village has lost a hub for people to come to eat and laugh and share memories
For most of us, it’s the perfect storm of increased overheads and decreased trade. Our energy bills have rocketed over 250 per cent in the last year while energy companies post record profits. Food and drink costs have shot up with inflation and the increased running costs our suppliers are facing. Wages have increased and are set to rise again in April. For many, rents have increased, and in some parts of the country, business rates have returned to previous levels. We also have Covid debts still to pay and the numbers just don’t add up.
And our guests are also feeling the pinch. So many things seem more expensive than ever. No wonder people are less able to eat out and support local businesses.
There’s no quick fix to any of this, but if the government really is the party of growth and business, it should be helping us out. The industry has long been calling for a decrease in VAT to help alleviate some of the costs in operating food-based business. We’re asking for energy bills to be regulated. We’re asking for business rates to be reviewed. We need normal people to have more money in their pockets.
The government needs to act now, or we’ll be left with chains and nothing more. High streets will be soulless. There won’t be anywhere left to make those memories made in a restaurant such as ours.
