'We can't afford to run our independent business'

The owners of a popular vegan food outlet say they have been left with no choice but to shutter the business because of the spiralling cost of living.

No Frickin Chicken started out in April 2021 as a food truck visiting markets and festivals before opening a diner in St John's, Worcester, a year later.

But, said the married owners Paddy Kelly and Hana Hughes: "Food prices continue to soar, rent remains high, and the expenses of maintaining the trailer keep adding up."

The government said it was working to stabilise public finances and was "focused on creating opportunities for businesses".

A number of bills have risen or are due to rise in April, which include water, energy, council tax and telecoms.

The minimum wage has also increased from £11.44 an hour to £12.21, and from Sunday, the amount of National Insurance (NI) paid by employers will rise, too.

"It's great that they've increased the minimum wage because people should be paid more, and food costs more," said Mr Kelly.

"But there should also, in my eyes, be some support for small businesses because they're the ones that can't absorb that as well."

The couple said equipment breaking down, including two vans - one of which resulted in a £10,000 repair bill - had contributed to the decision.

"Unfortunately, the rising costs of running an independent business have caught up with us," they said.

Mr Kelly added: "If everyone's struggling for money, which they are with the cost of living crisis... I think it's 5% of people in England who are vegan, so if everyone's spending less, then there's less money to go around.

"It's going to be harder if you're appealing to less people.

"There definitely needs to be change from government. All sorts of businesses, whether they're established or not, are just closing down all over the place."

But Mr Kelly said he expected the couple would likely have another crack at running a business in the future.

"We've had a lot of people reaching out with fantastic messages, people that have had our food at festivals or at our diner, and how much they've loved it. We feel like we're a pretty good brand, and people love the name and love the food.

"And we're really thankful for all the amazing customers and staff."

A government spokesperson said: "We are a pro-business government, and we know the vital importance of small businesses to our economy.

"We are now focused on creating opportunities for businesses to compete and access the finance they need to scale, export and break into new markets."

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