1 week Ago
TIPTREE jam maker Wilkin & Sons have announce the "necessary" closure of one of its tea rooms saying the business faced "challenging times". The Southwold Tea Room, located on the High Street, closed its doors last Friday and will remain shut 'until further notice'. The announcement was made via Wilkin & Sons website.
This news follows the closure of the team room in Writtle last summer. The other eight tea rooms, including sites at Dedham, Heybridge, and Chelmsford, remain open. Nicky Goldsack, Head of Tea Room Operations, said: "We are truly disappointed that it has become necessary to close our much-loved tea room in the heart of Southwold.
” “Like many others, we have faced challenging times recently and we have reluctantly decided to prioritise investment in tea rooms that are more local to our core operations.” “We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our great staff, loyal visitors, and the supportive local business community who have made our time in Southwold so special over the years.” Sales hit a record high back in 2023 with exports reaching £10million for the first time.
However, the unprecedented rise in energy costs meant Wilkin and Sons had to switch from three-year to two-year contracts and they recorded an £1.8million loss, after a £1.1million profit the previous year.
The increasing costs of raw materials, including glass and packaging, has meant that the jam company has reduced the size of its jars from 454g to 340g, while keeping the price about the same. Wilkin and Sons' planning application to Colchester Council in 2023 for solar panels to help save energy costs and cut its carbon footprint have been approved. The installation will be carried out in in two phases, with the first stage containing 10,380 panels and the second phase providing a further 5,000.
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