07/10/2026
For a bit of context, we’re a small, independent brunch café in St Davids, Pembrokeshire — Britain’s smallest city.
We’re open 362 days a year, from 9.30am–4pm, closing for just three days over Christmas so our team can have a well-earned break.
We turn over around £500,000 a year and currently employ 19 people, with our team growing over the busy summer months and shrinking again through the winter.
And before anyone jumps in with “well, £500k turnover sounds alright…” — remember, turnover isn’t profit. Out of that money comes wages, National Insurance, business rates, rent, energy, food, repairs, insurance, equipment, suppliers, professional fees… the list goes on.
Rachel Reeves did kindly save us £2,422.02 this quarter by reducing VAT on children’s meals to 5% over the summer.
And we genuinely appreciate that.
But it’s still not enough.
Hospitality businesses are working incredibly hard to keep their doors open, employ people and contribute to their local communities — all while being squeezed from every direction.
So if you enjoy supporting small, independent businesses like ours, please also get behind the UKHospitality campaign.
And Mr Burnham… please remember us in the Budget. 🙏
We love what we do. We love our team. We love St Davids.
We’d just quite like to keep a little more of the money we work bloody hard to earn. ❤️
Hospitality WelshHospitality StDavids Pembrokeshire SmallBusiness
