Rising food and input costs are still putting pressure on small traders, with one Northampton business owner warning that some ingredients have more than doubled in price over the past year.
The BBC reported that Steve Reid, who runs The Northampton Cheese Company and The Northampton Charcuterie Company from Northampton Market, has seen dried apricots rise from about £35 to £100 for a 12kg box, while sultanas have moved from about £23 to around £60 for a 10kg box. For firms making or selling food, that kind of jump is not a tidy spreadsheet problem. It lands directly in recipes, stock decisions, shelf prices and customer demand.
The story is local, but the pressure is familiar across much of the UK’s small business economy. Traders, hospitality operators, farm-linked suppliers, independent retailers and food producers are still dealing with a difficult mix: higher supplier prices, cautious customers, wage pressure, rent and utility bills, and the awkward reality that every price rise risks losing trade.
What happened
Reid told the BBC that his businesses produce chutneys, sauces and cheeses while also selling local produce such as bread, eggs and honey. When ingredient costs rise sharply, he said, the business may have to increase prices, but higher prices can make products harder to sell. He described that as a “vicious circle”.
The same report included comments from Northamptonshire farmer Philip Weston, who said fertiliser costs remain a serious concern and warned that some farmers could look again at arable production if prices do not come down. The government said it was working with farming stakeholders and pointed to more frequent fertiliser price reporting, the extended 5p fuel duty cut, and the red diesel tax discount for farmers.
For British SMEs, the practical point is not only whether one ingredient or input has moved. It is that cost volatility can travel quickly through supply chains. A farming input problem can become a food production problem, then a wholesale price problem, then a margin problem for market traders, cafes, delis and local shops.
Why it matters for small firms
Small businesses often have less room to absorb sudden cost increases than larger operators. They may buy in smaller quantities, have weaker negotiating power, and carry less cash buffer. A large chain can sometimes offset one category with another. A small trader selling carefully made local products may have fewer places to hide the increase.
This is especially difficult when customers are also watching their spending. If shoppers are bargain-hunting, businesses cannot simply pass on every rise without thinking carefully about price points, pack sizes, product mix and perceived value. That makes cost control a weekly discipline rather than an annual budgeting exercise.
Transport and energy costs add another layer. For small firms using vans, deliveries, refrigerated storage or regular supplier runs, fuel and running costs still matter. That is why earlier uncertainty around fuel duty and business transport costs remains relevant for traders trying to protect margins.
What to review now
The first useful step is to separate unavoidable cost increases from costs that can be managed. For each regular input, small firms should know the current price, the previous price, the supplier, the order frequency, and whether the increase is temporary, seasonal or likely to persist. This does not need to be elaborate; a simple rolling cost sheet is often enough.
Next, review products by margin rather than sales volume alone. A popular product that has become much more expensive to make may need a new price, a smaller portion, a different ingredient, a limited-run position, or a pause. Quietly carrying a loss because the item has always been on the menu or stall is an easy trap.
Small firms should also talk to suppliers before assuming nothing can change. That might mean asking about alternative pack sizes, delivery schedules, substitute products, forward ordering, shared drops with nearby businesses, or clearer warning when a key line is about to move in price. None of this removes the pressure, but it can reduce surprise.
Customer communication matters too. Independent traders often have loyal customers who understand honest, plain-English explanations. A short note that a price has changed because a specific input has doubled can work better than silence, provided it is factual and not overdone.
The practical takeaway
Rising costs are not new, but the Northampton example is a useful reminder that pressure is still moving through everyday business basics: ingredients, farming inputs, transport and customer spending. Small firms cannot control global or national cost trends, but they can keep closer grip on the numbers that affect each product, shift stock decisions faster, and avoid letting old prices quietly eat the margin.
The sensible action this week is to pick the top 10 recurring costs, check the latest price against last year or last quarter, and decide whether each one needs a pricing, supplier, product or cash-flow response. It is not glamorous work, which is probably how you know it matters.
Sources
- BBC News, Vicious circle of rising costs is fuelling crisis for traders, 17 May 2026
- UK government response quoted by BBC News on fertiliser price reporting, fuel duty and red diesel support
