Somerset family bakery business to shut after energy bills rise sevenfold

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A bakery in Somerset is set to shut its doors for the final time, after their energy supplier increased their bill by tens of thousands of pounds.

The Old Spot Bakery in Mark, near Highbridge, is closing down on Sunday (18 December) after it was notified that costs would be soaring to an unsustainable level.

Owner Ian Bates said he cannot see how "anyone can absorb" such an increase in prices.

He added: "It just seems really wrong where we've set up a little business, a local business.

"People have been encouraged to shop locally, we've done exactly that, we're very small, we can't absorb price increases like that."

The family business gained a loyal following during the pandemic but the owners have said Brexit and the war in Ukraine have also forced up the cost of butter and flour, making the bakery unable to continue.

The co-owner of the business, Sarah-Jane Bates, felt that during Covid the business became "a little beacon of joy in an otherwise dark world".

"It's been good to be part of the community... so it's sad to see it having to close," she said.

Although Sarah-Jane is pleased to have served some "lovely people and made some great stuff", she said she is "sad about how it's had to end".

"It just seems really unfair that something that is actually still doing well is going to have to be stopped because of the fact that we can't afford the power," she said.

The bakery will not only be missed by the family that created and ran it, but also many of its loyal customers, such as Pat Benjamin who has regularly shopped there.

Pat said: "It's going to be sorely missed because the quality of the baking and the cakes and the croissants, they are second to none.

"Honestly, there's nowhere around here like this at all, really good quality stuff and it will be sad to see them go really."