COST-OF-LIVING CRISIS: ‘I won’t just give in,’ says owner of Tweedy Pie in Fortrose in the Highlands
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Soaring electricity costs are prompting a small Black Isle business to seriously consider whether to temporarily close its doors during part of the winter.
Tweedy Pie, a food and craft business in Fortrose, says it is among countless businesses around the country facing the same predicament.
Owner Julie Mackay stressed she has not made a decision yet and if she did close, it would only be on a temporary basis during the quiet times.
“I am just trying desperately, taking it day by day to keep open,” she said.
“This isn’t just about Tweedy Pie. It is about lots of businesses.”
It follows a recent warning by Inverness bed and breakfast owner David Shayer that rising energy prices could lead to some Highland tourism businesses being mothballed over the winter.
He has called for extra help to be made available to the region’s hospitality sector to deal with the cost-of-living crisis as the weather is more severe and tourism is a big part of the economy.
Miss Mackay, who set up the business 18 months ago, said this month’s electricity bill was £600 compared with £200 last month.
While she accepted the UK government had announced help for businesses with energy costs, she is uncertain whether it will be enough for small businesses.
“Obviously, anything is likely to help,” she said. “But I don’t think that is going to solve the problem for us.”
One possible option was to rethink the type of food she served – having the ovens on all day pushed up electricity prices.
She was also aware that if people were looking to save money they usually cut back on luxury food items, or eating out.
But she felt lucky in owning the property so did not have the issue of being locked into a rental contract and she remained hopeful of ‘muddling through’.
“You put such a lot of hard work and love and care into building a business,” she said.
“I am determined not just to give in.
“I have invested a lot of time and money in it, so it would be hard to give it up.”
