Evening, guys.
This is a very important post for us and a very sad post.
Our beloved farm shop here at Ketham Abbey Farm is having to close.
The reason for that is the trading and business conditions in this country at the moment is unbearable.
I think the mismanagement of pretty much most things in this country at the moment by our government is hurting everyone in the business so much, especially hospitality, especially the shops, especially the small businesses.
The food inflation we've had is crazy.
The taxes, the PAYE that we've been had put on us last year on the wages has absolutely killed us and many others.
We've got more rates rises now, business rate rises that is going to be happening in April.
These business rates for us, for instance, at the moment we pay £55,000 a year and the council don't even grit our roads or fix our potholes.
We have businesses up the road like the Golf Range and the Fishing Lakes that also pay huge amounts of business rates and share the same road as us.
And we can't get the potholes fixed and we can't get the roads gritty to get the customers to us.
But everyone wants to take the money.
We've just had the valuation office trying to put our rates up.
And for some reason is valuation works all around the country for business rates and it's all done on rentable value and square footage.
And for some reason for Farm Parks and us at the moment, they want to do a percent of turnover.
So everything that comes out to us, 20% goes to the VAT man.
They want 8% to go to them.
By the time we do our PII and everything else, there isn't anything left.
So, sorry to ramble on, but what that gives us is we've got some amazing staff that's been in this farm shop for over 15 years.
And we've built this farm shop by our bare hands and now we're having to close it.
The main thing I'm saying to you guys is you need to support us as the Kefir Mabli Farm.
Kefir Mabli Farm is always going to be here, but you do have to support it.
And when I say that, you've got to support it.
When it's raining and in the cold days, you need to be getting your kids out of the house that they should be getting out of the house and coming to us.
And not just us.
You need to look around and look after all your local businesses.
Because I personally think this country is going to the dogs.
And everyone I know in business thinks this country is going to the dogs.
And unless we try and do something and help our local businesses, I don't really know where it's all going to end up.
All I know is we've lost our little farm shop that's meant a lot to us.
And we worked very hard on it over the years.
But if the figures don't add up, the figures don't add up.
At the moment, we lose money every day by opening.
So it's hurt us very much, especially on our hearts.
And this is a post that, please, you need to share around.
And we need to get this about a little bit.
I'll do some posts now to let you know.
The shop is going to probably open in just one more week, this weekend, in the week and next weekend.
And, you know, we're going to put probably everything that's perishable here.
We'll put on a 50% discount because it needs to be sold or it's going to go in the bin.
The toys won't come into that yet.
We don't know what we're going to do with the toys, but anything perishable in the shop, come down.
Anything here, 50%.
We've got some alcohol here still.
But it's a sad day.
And I don't know if it's fixable.
I mean, the country that is, but it ain't cool.
And I don't know.
Look around your local businesses.
Help and support your local businesses.
Otherwise, we're all in the mess.
Take care, guys.
See you at the farm park.