Cost of living: Caterers struggle as weddings cancelled

Faced with soaring bills and customers who are feeling the cost of living increasingly, wedding caterers are facing tough times.

"I am honestly hanging on with my finger nails. Other caterers have shut down around me," Cardiff-based caterer Anita Barroso said.

Couples have been cancelling weddings due to the financial constraints," she said.

"The bills are double for me and [it is] scary for my business."

Ms Barroso has been running Crumbles Catering for 21 years and says the situation now is worse than when the financial crisis hit in 2008. Every week, her suppliers are informing her of price hikes, "even down to eggs", with no warning, she says.

Meanwhile customers have been asking her to reduce her prices.

"I feel sad, I want to keep quality and I have won awards," she said.

She says she needs to pass some of the price rises on to her customers "but I don't I feel I can do it... customers are struggling."

Cardiff University warned last month of a squeeze on living standards for Welsh households on a scale not seen in decades in the UK.

Food costs are climbing and energy bills are rocketing and a rise in national insurance contributions means people are taking home less pay.

Manorbier Castle in Pembrokeshire, which hosts weddings throughout the year, says it has also noticed couples are beginning to struggle.

"We have definitely noticed a decrease in our initial enquiries and believe this to be due to the dramatic increase in the cost of living seen over the past few months," a spokeswoman for the venue said.

"We have also had a small number of couples who have already booked reduce their wedding day plans due to increased pressure on their financial circumstances."

The venue will continue to hold winter weddings as normal in its vaults room but is monitoring the situation closely.

For Scott Davis, executive chef and managing director of caterer Strawberry Shortcake Dining, the future is also uncertain.

Soaring food and fuel costs - UK inflation hit 7% in the year to March, the highest rate in 30 years - are a big blow to the firm, particularly following the Covid lockdowns which hit the wedding industry hard.

"I am not really sure, where we will be at the end of the season, I wouldn't like to guess," he said.

The cost of chicken had almost doubled, he said, while lamb was up by two thirds.

"Cooking oil before lockdown was £16 per drum, now it is up to £36," he said.

The company, which caters for weddings across all of south Wales, prides itself on providing tailor-made menus. But with prices rising fast, pricing is difficult.

"I have always costed my menu fairly. It will be interesting to see how things go," Mr Davis said.

But next year, the firm will "most definitely" have to hike prices.

"I would do it this year but we are in contract with people, it would be unfair. But someone has to absorb that cost, unfortunately it will be us."

"I hope we get through the year, get through the winter and survive."

Zubair Ramji of catering firm Maharaja also highlighted the challenges of rising energy bills and food prices.

The firm caters for Asian weddings, specifically in south Wales, and has recently had to close its industrial kitchens in Cardiff and move them to a more affordable location.

"It is not practical as we do a lot of weddings in Cardiff," said Mr Ramji, who is head of operations and commercial manager.

Factoring in refrigeration, travel costs and fuel costs, it had compounded the problems the firm faces, he added.

"This is the worst situation we have ever been in," he said, creating "a lot of stress" for the business.