Chiddingfold in Surrey is a quintessentially English village, with a population of just over 2,000 people who all seem to know each other. Dotted around the village green, where a towering bonfire stands ready for next month, you will find cosy pubs, a traditional butchers, corner shop and tea room, mostly run by local families.
Its pubs have been frequented by some of Britain’s biggest celebrities and royalty (Queen Elizabeth I once bought a ton of wine from the Crown Inn).
In the Mulberry Inn, photos of past performances by Tom Jones, Gary Barlow and Paul McCartney line the walls. But even here, in the heart of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s constituency, the rising cost-of-living poses a threat.
“Customers aren’t coming in like they used to,” said the pub’s owner, John. “They used to come in three times a week, now they come once.”
John, who has run the Mulberry Inn for three and a half years with his wife and son, believes energy bills, which have soared by 64pc since last year even under the energy price guarantee, are the reason traffic to the inn has dried up.
“Posh people are the only ones who can afford to go out,” he said. “The middle classes are being driven to supermarkets instead.”
John’s own costs have shot up since the energy crisis began. The Mulberry Inn uses oil for its heating, which he said had increased in price from 42p a litre to 95p. Its electricity bill has more than doubled.
“If we were paying a mortgage or rent right now, we’d have closed already,” said John, who owns the premises outright.
Chiddingfold’s residents have done their best to support the small businesses that tie their community together – when they can afford it. We meet the business owners who are fighting to keep their firms open.
‘It’s at the point where we’re wondering if it’s worth it’
Lucas McArthur, 18, works in his family’s café, Elliot’s Coffee Shop. His parents bought the premises two years ago and rebuilt it themselves, he said.
But with constantly running air conditioning, coffee machines, an oven and lighting, their electricity bill has shot up. A typical electric oven costs about 68p an hour to run and theirs must remain on all day.
“We have to properly think about what we keep on throughout the day now,” said Mr McArthur.
