'Worn out and in debt': UK small business owners struggle amid cost of living crisis

 

When chef Harriet Mansell started a business, she didn’t imagine she would end up with £30,000 (€34,791) of credit card debt and struggling amid a cost of living crisis.

 

She had pulled together her savings from a decade of work in London’s high-profile kitchens and on international super yachts to open her first restaurant in 2020.

 

Her vision was to create a community-spirited workspace in the coastal seaside town of Lyme Regis, southwest England, where people would buy and support local produce.

 

Just as COVID-19 restrictions were eased and her business was gaining impetus, an increase in the cost of living coupled with an imminent 80 per cent hike in energy prices has rattled the survival of her Michelin-featured restaurants.

 

Online booking numbers have decreased but customers wouldn't come if she increased prices, Mansell says.

 

Read More Here: Euronews