Top Harrogate restaurant owner opens up on fears over cost of living crisis and its threat to businesses

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Brett Lee, who is executive chef as well as a director of the highly acclaimed Stuzzi, said the surge of energy costs combined with the high cost of imports could have a "dangerous effect on restaurants."

"For restaurants the rise in energy costs is an extra blow on top of a difficult time for our industry, every house hold in the country is feeling the pinch and it feels like another big obstacle on the road to recovery," said Brett.

"We have had to adjust prices to swallow the rising cost and be extremely clever on how we now utilise our energy.

"Many restaurants have had to adjust their prices to a new level already due to a large increase in food and import costs caused by a combination of Brexit and on-going effects of the pandemic."

Such is the high reputation of Stuzzi, which has been hugely successful since first opening on Kings Road in Harrogate in 2014, it also opened a branch in early 2019 in Leeds where most of its owners hail from - Nick Harvey, Tom Pierson, Jimbob Waters and Brett himself.

Famed, in particular, for its Italian small plates based on the team's first-hand knowledge of Italy, Stuzzi's traditional recipes sit along side modern Italian cooking and street food essentials.

All its sweets and bakery are produced in house from imported Neopolitian flour and prepared using techniques passed on by Italian friends and colleagues.

The acclaimed bar-restaurant also boasts carefully-selected imported wine and meats and cheeses.

Stuzzi's Brett Lee said the business was already being creative in the face of mounting challenges and was determined to prosper.

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But the combination of energy costs, rising inflation, supply problems and the general pressure on its customers' cost of living should not be under-estimated, he added.

Brett Lee said: "We also have a responsibility to try and help our staff afford this added cost to their lives and this becomes an added strain on the business.

"Every household in the country will now be reviewing how they’re spending money due to the rise in energy costs.

"This may push people to only visit their favourite restaurants once a month instead of a more frequent affair.

"It also means people have less disposal cash to spend in different sectors like the retail sector.

"Which doesn’t help our struggling high streets either and could also have a dangerous effect on restaurants lunch trade across the country too.

"But we can’t take a negative approach, we must continue to adapt to the circumstances given to us, work hard, be creative and use our initiative to carry on delivering the stuzzi dining experience.”

The Bank of England says families will experience the biggest fall in living standards since records began.

The energy price cap, which limits how much providers charge per unit, is increasing by 54% because of an unprecedented rise in gas prices.

As a result, analysists say that energy bills for the average customer on a default tariff will rise by almost £700 annually from £1,277 to to £1,971.

Interest rates are rising to 0.5%, making mortgages and other debt more expensive.

And the Government confirmed recently that the planned rise in National Insurance in April to address the "colossal" NHS backlog from the pandemic will go ahead.

In its latest Monetary Policy Report, the Bank of England predicts that post-tax incomes will effectively fall 2% this year, which would represent the biggest fall in take-home pay since records began in 1990.

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