A beloved Somerset establishment, known as the Cider Barn, is at risk of shutting its doors after a staggering 500 percent increase in its business rates.
Since 2012, Jason Law has operated the Cider Barn, nestled just off the busy A371 in Draycott, a quaint village near Cheddar. This small but popular venue on the outskirts of the Mendip Hills has long been a favorite with locals and tourists alike, serving a diverse selection of Somerset ciders, local brews, sourdough pizzas, and classic pub fare.
However, the future looks uncertain after a recent government revaluation caused Mr. Law’s business rates to jump from £100 to £600 per month. According to calculations by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), the rateable value of his business soared from £4,500 to £15,000 within a few years.
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Mr. Law expressed his frustration to SomersetLive, saying, “There doesn’t seem to be any cap on it at all – it’s all a big mystery. You’d need to be a nuclear physicist to understand it. Westminster just keeps piling it on, year after year.”
He added, “People will only pay so much for a pint, and we’re right on the edge of pricing ourselves out – if that happens, they just stop coming.”
Business rates are collected by Somerset Council on behalf of the Treasury to fund essential local services such as pothole repairs and social care. But Mr. Law lamented that the playing field has drastically changed since the pandemic, with much of the relief for businesses like his being phased out.
“We attract visitors from all over the country, thanks to nearby attractions like Wookey Hole and Cheddar Gorge,” he said. “People are angry. It feels like the government doesn’t want places like these to exist anymore. Here, you can chat and socialize in a way you can’t in chains like Wetherspoons.”
Mr. Law relies heavily on regular customers from surrounding towns such as Draycott, Cheddar, Wells, and Axbridge. Yet, this rate hike threatens to push prices up during the quieter winter months.
“We’re all council taxpayers, so this feels like a double whammy. Meanwhile, local services are declining. This just takes the shine off everything – makes you wonder: ‘what’s the point?’ We’re being treated as cash cows for an oversized government. This is make or break – it’s soul-destroying,” he said.
Mr. Law is not alone in facing such drastic increases. Jules Sayer, owner of Petruth Paddocks campsite in Cheddar, saw his monthly business rates skyrocket from £107 to £2,882 — an almost 2,700 percent hike.
Sayer described the process as opaque and unsettling, having submitted detailed paperwork to the VOA but then hearing nothing for months. “I budgeted £10,000 to be safe – ten times what I was paying before. Instead, I’m now paying nearly thirty times more.”
He warns that without stable and predictable business rates, many small businesses may close. “There needs to be a three-year plan so we can budget. Sudden huge increases destroy motivation, and customers notice. We’ve got 25 to 30 employees, aged 14 to 76, and all could lose their jobs if this continues.”
Local MP Tessa Munt raised Mr. Law’s situation in the House of Commons on May 21, highlighting the severe impact of the sharp business rates rise on small, community-focused enterprises.
Munt asked the government what steps would be taken to support businesses like the Cider Barn, emphasizing their importance to local communities.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle responded, noting that hospitality businesses in rural areas, like the Cider Barn, are receiving multiple forms of government support, including a permanently lowered business rates multiplier for eligible properties, benefiting over 750,000 businesses. He also mentioned recent legislation targeting late payments to inject £11 billion into the economy.
Despite these assurances, business owners like Jason Law and Jules Sayer remain uncertain about their futures amid soaring costs and reduced support, calling for clearer policies and more sustainable relief to protect local businesses and jobs.