10 Oct 2025
The sudden and unexpected loss of two staples of the city centre’s independent retail scene has cast a fresh shadow over the robustness of any local business to weather the current economic crisis.
Last week saw the closure of both The Pudding Stop and Lawes and Sons butchers, two businesses with long histories and strong reputations, but unable to survive the relentless toll of National Insurance contributions, higher minimum wage, a broken business rates system, and the ongoing cost of living crisis. For many traders it may very well be a case of “there but for the grace of God go I”.
Few would argue in support of the concept of backing our local indies for its own sake, they are not charities and customers should not be guilted into shopping with them out of some worthy obligation.
But the real truth of the matter is that independent businesses are often better businesses, which means customers should trust them with their money and move away from the big chains and corporations.
Chris Evans, owner of Hatch in Christopher Place Shopping Centre and Marmalade on Holywell Hill, is a strong believer in the idea of serving St Albans and not shareholders, a message reflected on their social media.
He explains: “Take restaurants as an example: independents don’t have shareholders to pay dividends to, fancy head offices in London, or layers of executives to fund. What that means is more money goes into the food on your plate, paying staff fairly, and often still charging less than the chains.
“With this in mind, I think customers should reconsider their relationship with chains. Don’t be fooled by the token pictures of the Clock Tower or Cathedral they put up in an attempt to look ‘local’. Don’t be swayed by influencers’ praising them in exchange for free meals and likes.
“Instead, start trusting independent businesses – not because they need support, but because they’re far more likely to deliver better food, better service, and ultimately, a better experience.”
It’s an often over-used phrase, but the idea of the ‘retail experience’ is undoubtedly key to St Albans, even if you shop with chains as well as independents.
Caroline Hoggarth, founder of A Fold of Chairs in London Road, elaborates: “When I first started it was entirely online. Moving into a shop space here in St Albans has shown me the very best of this city. There is an incredible community of independent traders who support and inspire one another, and equally a wonderful community of customers who choose to shop with us because they care about the story behind the businesses.
“What I realised very quickly is that shopping in real life is so different to the faceless nature of online, you get to have conversations, share knowledge, and build relationships. That connection is invaluable, and it’s what makes a high street feel alive.
“Independent shops add character and variety, but they also keep money and creativity circulating in the city. Every purchase makes a real difference, not only to the person behind the counter but to the culture of St Albans itself. I think that’s why so many people here are proud of their independents, because together they make the city feel like somewhere unique.”
Nobody can deny that what sets St Albans apart from clone towns across the country is its proliferation of independent shops and the community which backs them, but that’s unfair on those chains which decided to set up here because they recognised the benefits of running a business in the city, and are determined to give something back in exchange.
Catherine Morris, manager of Christopher Place Shopping Centre, says it’s the rich variety of our retail offering which makes the city so special.
“I have the privilege of working closely with a variety of businesses – from well-known high street brands to independent shops that bring something truly unique to St Albans.
“We’re fortunate to have a mix that many other places have lost, and it’s this diversity that helps St Albans stand out as a shopping destination. But maintaining that balance doesn’t happen by accident – it takes continued support from the community.
“From time to time, we sadly see local, independent businesses close their doors. It’s always disappointing, especially when those businesses have been loved by many. Strangely when the store closes, the response from people is surprise!! We must ask ourselves, ‘but when did you last buy anything from there?’
“The reality is that these closures are rarely due to a lack of passion or effort from the business owners, more often, it comes down to footfall and spending habits.
“If every resident made a small shift toward shopping locally – even just now and then – it could make a real difference. Independent businesses often don’t have the marketing budgets or online presence of larger chains, but what they do offer is personal service, individuality, and a wonderful product, not to be seen anywhere else.
“We all have a part to play in supporting the future of our high streets. Choosing to shop local, even occasionally, helps keep our city centre vibrant and varied.”
Restaurateur Andrei Lussmann, who oversees a chain of independent brasseries across Herts, including St Albans and Harpenden, posted a passionate personal message on social media about the recent closures.
“It’s another example of how our high street is changing. The high street is not online, the high street is about terra firma, it’s about what’s under our feet and it’s about the relationships we have with one another.
“The Pudding Stop, a good friend of ours, is a great little local gem, fantastic over 14 years at doing what they have done so well, but they are not the last. Your high street, our high street, is what pulls us together as a society, and we need to remember that customers and the future of our business, and the future of paying for the taxes in this country, come from keeping our high streets going.
“We’re here to support The Pudding Stop and any staff they might have that they need to find homes for, but it doesn’t stop with this video, it stops when you decide to come and visit a local café, a restaurant, a butchers. It’s all about our community, and we hope to see you soon at a restaurant, at a coffee shop. It’s not online, it’s here, the real deal. See you soon.”
Even those businesses which are mainly service providers, such as hair salons and nail bars, rely on the support of customers when it comes to purchasing products which might otherwise be sourced via the internet.
Marc Trinder, director of Trinder Hair Studios in George Street, explains: “During this current climate, we are very aware of where a customer chooses to spend their hard earned money. As an independent retailer and service provider we value the choices of many of our clients opting to spend on essential haircare in salon rather than purchasing online.
“The impact is great, it doesn’t line our pockets with extra cash- but allows us to re-invest in the business and ensure we have a heathy cash flow.
“I really want to emphasise to the consumers of St Albans to never underestimate the power of choosing to spend with an independent business – it allows us to continually grow, develop and provide apprenticeships to the next generation. This has so much more impact than lining the profits of shareholders on a board.
“There are many challenges independent business owners face, but these are the people that shape our cities, towns and villages. Showing support and choosing to shop local can keep our high streets alive and vibrant with a stronger sense of community.”
Sam Campagna of Barbone Barbers in Catherine Street agrees: “As a local retailer for the past 15 years, I’ve seen St Albans surprise me time and again with the small businesses that spring up here, full of energy, ideas, and a genuine love for what they do. Running a business isn’t always easy. At times, every owner asks themselves why we do it. Costs are high, hours are long, and the challenges can feel endless.
“But for me, as someone born and bred in St Albans, the answer always comes back to one thing: community. The support from local people, the encouragement between business owners, and events like Retailer of the Year that shine a spotlight on the best of our city all help to bind us together.
“It is natural that businesses come and go, some lasting only a short while, others coming to a natural end after years of service. But one thing is certain: St Albans always attracts the best. The brave. The ambitious. The businesses that want to stand shoulder to shoulder with other great names in our city.
“Whatever has gone before, there will always be something new and exciting waiting to take its place. That is the spirit of St Albans retail, and it is why I am proud to be a part of it.”
But we should also not forget that our retail staff are customers themselves, and do their bit to support their peers whenever possible, as Deryane Tadd, owner of The Dressing Room boutique, is only too proud to explain.
“The loss of The Pudding Stop is a huge blow to our community, not just because of the wonderful food and service Jonny and his team offered, but because it represented the heart of what makes St Albans special – independent businesses run by passionate local people.
“The Pudding Stop holds a special place in our hearts at The Dressing Room, we have held many of our team baby showers in their St Albans bakery along with management meetings over coffee and cakes, often ordering postal brownies for gifts and much more in between.
“This closure is a devastating reminder of the reality that we as small businesses face. Jonny did everything a great local owner should – innovating, adapting, pushing the business forward all whilst retaining his original vision for great puddings in a friendly, professional environment.
“Soaring costs and overheads have made it incredibly difficult for independent businesses to survive right now and if we value our local businesses then we need to show our support by choosing them time and time again.
“I sincerely wish Jonny and his family all the very best for the future and hope we will see his innovative approach to puddings somehow and somewhere again in the future.”
President of St Albans Chamber of Commerce, Cheryl Luzet, is also a strong advocate for the city’s retail offering: “The recent closures of much-loved independent businesses like The Pudding Stop and Lawes & Sons Butchers are a sobering reminder of what we stand to lose if we don’t actively support our local traders. Independent retailers are the heartbeat of St Albans – they bring colour, character and community to our city centre in a way that large chains simply can’t replicate.
“Every pound spent with a local business helps to sustain local jobs, invest in our community and preserve the unique identity that makes St Albans such a special place to live and visit. Once these independents are gone, they’re gone for good – and no amount of nostalgia can bring them back.
“We all share responsibility in keeping our high street alive. Whether it’s choosing to buy your morning coffee from a local café, booking a table at an independent restaurant, or shopping with local makers, those small decisions collectively make a huge difference.
“Supporting our independents isn’t just about economics. It’s about ensuring that St Albans remains a vibrant, welcoming city with a thriving mix of passionate business owners who care deeply about the community they serve.”
Still here, despite some challenging times over the past year, is Emma Bustamante from gifts and home interiors store Cositas on Holywell Hill, and she continues displaying the resilience and determination which has brought the business through its hardest trading period since it opened.
“It’s been a tough year for our high street. Here at Cositas, rising costs, changing shopping habits and the ongoing squeeze has made it harder than ever before – it’s been a year! Many of the places that bring life and colour to St Albans – the ones that make our city feel unique – are fighting to survive.
“Every time you choose to shop, eat, or drink locally, you’re doing more than making a purchase. You’re helping to sustain local jobs, support local families, and keep money circulating within our own community. Those few pounds spent on a gift, a meal, or a morning coffee stay right here in St Albans – creating opportunities and helping small businesses continue to thrive.
“St Albans has always been a city with a strong sense of community, and now more than ever, that spirit matters. When St Albans people support St Albans people, we keep our high street alive, vibrant, and full of character. I’m really hoping that in the run up to Christmas, everyone backs their independents!”
With its entire remit based around supporting and promoting the city centre’s businesses, it’s no wonder that St Albans BID is keen to encourage customer support.
Manager Viv Cannon said: “It’s upsetting when a business decides to close and there will be a build-up of reasons that contribute to that decision, not least the increase in National Insurance and minimum wage payments.
“High streets are forever evolving, and businesses try to respond to influences that impact on their trading and ability to navigate a financially workable way ahead.
“It’s a great thing that St Albans has a BID (Business Improvement District) organisation in place as not all towns and cities do. The BID creates a collaboration between businesses through the pooling of levy payments which are invested into the BID area promoting and enhancing the city and providing additionality through events and activities to attract attention and encourage visits, footfall and spend. These make St Albans a good place to live.
Do you like the floral planters, decorative lamp column banners and do you enjoy the events sponsored or delivered by BID? Are you or a family member employed by a local city centre business? If it’s a yes, then please invest your money locally as all these benefits may go.”
“Our independents and small chains give St Albans its character as much as the city’s physical backdrop. Andrei highlighted the plight of the business community, and he is right to call customers to uphold the city they enjoy, love spending time in, and show off to their visiting friends and family.
“Our businesses constantly respond to change as customer habits change. They facilitate face to face, online, click and collect and delivery purchasing options. Customers can still shop locally even without entering the city – think about that. Patronage is great face to face, and for some businesses is the only way, but it can also work online.”
St Albans and Harpenden MPs Daisy Cooper and Victoria Collins have also pledged their support for local businesses in the wake of the recent closure of two well-established independent outlets.
Daisy told the St Albans Times: “Our high streets are at the heart of our communities, and hospitality is at the heart of our high streets.
“This was the message I delivered at the Lib Dem annual conference, just days before hearing about the closure of yet another two local independent businesses in St Albans.
“From cradle to grave, our hospitality venues are often the places we go to mark rites of passage and to make memories – engagements, weddings, funerals and birthdays at all ages. So it’s hardly surprising that hospitality is one of our most cherished and most loved parts of our economy.
“But under the Conservatives and now under Labour, hospitality is being hammered.
“Under the Conservatives, it was Brexit and workforce shortages. The confusion of COVID rules and regs. The broken business rates system and the energy crisis, all of which pushed up costs.
“Under Labour, the jobs tax changes makes it more expensive to employ staff and strips away incentives to recruit part-time staff.
“The higher business rates bills, and the continuing crisis in food and energy costs are pushing many to the brink.
“That is why we must do everything in our power to save hospitality.
“As the MP for St Albans and our party’s Treasury Spokesperson, I have opposed the Labour Government’s jobs tax in its entirety – setting our fairer ways to raise the revenue.
“At our Lib Dem conference just two weeks ago, we agreed new policies too: we are calling on the Government to exempt hospitality from the jobs tax and consult on a new NICs rate for part time staff – a rate somewhere between the old rate and the new rate so we can reduce the burden on business and create new opportunities for part time workers.
“We’re calling on the Government to broaden its existing energy review to look at concrete measures to improve access to better and cheaper energy deals for hospitality, and we’re calling on the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to investigate and hammer out any bad practices in the energy supplier market.
“We’re calling on the Government to look again at its business rates reforms for next year where their changes – we think inadvertently – are going to mean that small independent businesses on the high street will have to subsidize bigger chains.
“And we want the Government to address the skills shortage, which affects hospitality in particular.
“Right up and down the country, hospitality is struggling. There are places in the country where it might seem that cafes, pubs and restaurants are full. But people are feeling the squeeze, and they’re spending less.
“Instead of going out once a fortnight, they go out once a month or less. Instead of two courses, they might get one.
“Costs are going up, income is coming down, and hospitality is fraying at the edges.
“For those who can afford to, please do what you can to spend your hard-earned cash right here in St Albans, keeping our community and our high streets alive.”
Victoria has also been actively campaigning for better support for the hospitality sector, visiting local businesses across Harpenden to hear first-hand about the challenges they face.
“We are spoiled for choice in fantastic pubs, cafés, and restaurants, each of which makes up the backbone of our communities, breathing life into our high streets and town centres.
“However, they are being punished by a Government blocking their pathway to prosperity, with their unfair National Insurance hike, which disproportionately impacts the hospitality sector. Coupled with other challenges like the pandemic, times are treacherous for this vital part of the economy.
“The Government needs to take concrete steps to back hospitality businesses and recognise their importance in boosting our economy. I want to see our high streets being supported so they can thrive.”
