A POPULAR butcher’s shop in Guisborough is closing its doors due to the cost-of-living-crisis.

J&B Butchers on Westgate in Guisborough opened in August 2021, but unfortunately, the owner is closing the doors this autumn as he says he just can’t make enough money.

In a Facebook post from Wednesday, June 8, the business explained the various reasons for the decision to close.

Footfall has remained the same, however, due to customers’ average spend decreasing from £7 to £3, owner Lee Byrski feels he has no choice but to shut up shop.

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Mr Byrski said: “It’s not been an overnight decision. The last few months have just drastically gone downhill because of the cost of everything, it’s just crippling.

“Business rates have gone too high. The shop that was here before us didn’t pay rates for 21 years so we were told it was zero rates and then we got wacked with a massive bill.

“It’s not so much that footfall has reduced, it’s just the average spend per customer has gone down. They would spend about £7 but now it’s more like £3.

“I don’t blame the customers for going to the supermarket for cheaper meat. It might not be as good quality but they can feed their family for cheaper and I would probably do the same. Food is always the first thing people will substitute.”

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Mr Byrski also mentioned electric bills being “sky high” as being another contributing factor to his inability to keep the business going.

He alluded to the decline of high streets across the country  on a whole as being hopeless and he predicted more businesses in Guisborough would end up closing within the next few months.

“Barclays bank near us (Market Place, Guisborough) is shutting in September and once that’s gone footfall will just fall off a cliff because there’s no reason for people to come to the high street.

“The Government talks about regenerating the high street but it feels like a ghost town and it’s almost as if they want us (independent businesses) out.”

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