High inflation hitting small businesses across Norfolk hard
Inflation rose to 5.4% in December, the highest rate it's been in 30 years
High inflation and the rising cost of living is hitting small businesses across Norfolk hard.
'Give it some Beans' coffee company based in Mattishall are no different.
It's co-owned by Sean and Jo Arnoup.
Jo told us things can't carry on like this: "We've given ourselves until June to see what happens with electricity costs. But it's not just that, prices of carboard boxes and packaging has gone up. I make coffee syrups and the price of sugar has gone up. Everything has just gone up and I'm not too sure how long we can sustain this to be honest".
She told us she's also worried by the current lack of certainty: "When we started roasting in 2018, our electricity was 11 pence a kilowatt an hour, now it's nearly 25 pence a kilowatt an hour. So once the energy price cap comes off, who knows what will happen.
"So, we've had to cost that into the price of all our coffee, prices may have to go up again I really don't know".
Jo went on to say that businesses like hers feel like they have been forgotten and Government must go further to help them: "We really cannot afford this as a company, we're not getting any help from anywhere aside from talking to people.
"I don't feel that the Government are helping us, we've not had any grants and because we're working from home we weren't entitled to anything during the lockdowns. Plus we are self-funding and haven't borrowed any money.
"The Government really needs to get their heads together because I know a lot of places that have closed, including cafes that we supply, because they just cannot sustain the current costs. So they mustn't just support the big boys.
"They have got to support small businesses as well because without us a lot of the supply chain will go as well"
This comes after the Office of National Statistics (ONS) confirmed that inflation soared to 5.4% in December. This being the highest rate it's been in 30 years.
It means the cost of things like fuel, clothes and energy has gone up.