Leeds Indie Food on 'worst year by far' for losing independent food outlets as they warn 'use or lose them'

It’s been a tough couple of years for businesses – battling through the worst of the pandemic, only to be hit with soaring energy costs and rising inflation. And in a post shared across social media, Leeds Indie Food founder Simon Fogal, has described 2023 as the “worst year by far” for losing Indie food outlets with many more said to be on the brink of closure due to rising costs.

Leeds has recently lost a number of popular bar and food outlets including popular Leeds city centre eatery Pizza Fella, which closed after its owners said they don’t have the “financial and emotional resources”, while the Black Sheep Brewing Company Limited announced the immediate closure of three of its pubs, including Black Sheep Tap and Kitchen, in Chapel Allerton, and Mr Foley’s, in Leeds city centre.

Speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Simon said: “Businesses are still in recovery mod from Covid and are now being hit again. I’ve had so many meetings and it’s just heart-breaking. I was speaking to a bakery that employs two people and their electricity bill has gone from £300 to about £1,200.

"Marko from Bundobust recently described it as ‘everyone’s drowning and it’s about who can hold your breath longest’ which is a horrible analogy but it’s sadly true."

Simon explained that independent business owners are being forced to work in excess of 18-hour days just to make ends meet and is calling on both both Government and local council to do what they can to support struggling businesses.

He said: “HMRC aren’t being too kind and are quite quickly passing any debt onto collectors, which obviously stresses so many people out and that combined with tripled energy costs really just doesn’t help.

"The year of culture should be spread far and wide, yet its the year that indie culture will be and is being crushed.”

In a final message to customers, Simon warned: “If the message over the last few years isn’t clear enough, we have to use them or we will lose them.”