Broomhill Good Taste fair trade shop faces closure after business rates ‘almost quadruple’
Broomhill Good Taste fair trade shop faces closure after business rates ‘almost quadruple’.
An independent Sheffield business is facing closure after 11 years due to a huge business rate increase.
Good Taste on Whitham Road in Broomhill has seen its cost rise from £1,600 last year to £5,975, with the owner warning that in the coming months, swathes of small stores may close their doors across Sheffield.
Jenny Coleman, the owner, stated, “We don’t know how we’ll get over this shock.
“I can imagine many shopkeepers like ourselves are in a similar position and we will see the high streets of Sheffield full of empty shops in the coming months.”
Jenny continued, “We opened this shop to demonstrate that you could run a business ethically and make a living.
The company paid a fair price for goods, and any items that were not fair trade contributed to alter people’s lives by generating earnings that were then donated to charity, she noted.
Dan Walker, a TV personality and TASTE-UK patron, had praised the business for its charity work in 2023.
According to a government spokeswoman, Transitional Relief and the Supporting Small Business initiative have been implemented to limit bill increases for businesses facing significant increases.
The majority were limited to a 15% raise, or £800 for the smallest, in 2026/27.
The spokesperson continued, “We’re supporting the high street with a £4.3 billion Budget package to curb significant business rate spikes, preventing bills from rising for more than half of business properties.
“Our Plan for Small Business will help SMEsaccess the tools and support they need to unleash their potential, and later this year we’ll publish a new High Streets Strategy that will build on the £5bn Pride in Place programme to renew our neighbourhoods and high streets.”
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