Local Penarth café The Galley met with Vaughan Gething MS to discuss impact of cost-of-living crisis on the business
- The Galley recently announced a price hike in stock items- with some going up by 200%, to their 6,390 followers on Instagram
- Official visit formed part of a series of drop-ins organised by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) in Wales
Much-loved local café The Galley in Penarth Marina has lately outlined the pressures facing their business with 200% increases in running costs as the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite. Situated on the water and home of the famous cronut (a ring-shaped fried pastry made from croissant dough), Fat Dragon Coffee Co and what they call the “best breakfast in South Wales”, The Galley is a firm favourite of the local community.
Formerly Compass Coffee, the multi-award-winning café has been hit with soaring energy and supply bills over recent months. Co-owner Marcus Hill met with local constituency Member of the Senedd, Vaughan Gething to discuss the impact this is having on the business.
The meeting came as FSB Wales organised a small business roundtable and ‘drop-ins’ in the South Cardiff and Penarth constituency.
Marcus Hill, Co-Owner of The Galley said, “The cost of doing business has dramatically increased in recent months, which is having an impact on every aspect of our work.
The reduced VAT and business rates reduction throughout the lockdowns was a big help, but that support is almost all gone now. Many small businesses are having to go without, just to keep the doors open. We’re struggling to keep prices down as our running costs have exploded.
Our café is a landmark of the community, and we will do everything in our power to keep serving our customers. We’ve just released new menus with new frappes, tropical smoothies and a big stack bap. We have a lot to offer.
I’m grateful to our Member of the Senedd, Vaughan Gething, for coming to visit us and listening to the issues we’re facing. We hope to see more support for the small business community as costs continue to rise.”
Rob Basini, Development Manager for South Wales said “FSB is driven by the needs of its members and for so many businesses, those needs are challenging at the moment. We have an important role in providing an interface between businesses and our elected representatives. We organised a series of drop-ins with Vaughan Gething, Member of the Senedd for Cardiff South and Penarth, because we wanted small businesses in the area to feel they had the opportunity to directly discuss the impact of the current economic climate on their business.”