Cindy Halls has been running the award-winning Heydon Village Tea Room, near Aylsham, since 2011, offering a range of nostalgic dishes featuring ingredients from local suppliers. 

But as independent businesses face growing pressure in the current economic climate and from government policy on business rates, Ms Halls has spoken of her fears about what this means for the future of businesses like hers.

Cindy Halls, owner of Heydon Village Tea Room (Image: Denise Bradley)

In an emotive letter to Jerome Mayhew, MP for Broadland and Fakenham, she said: "We want you to know how we lie awake at night, sweating over how we will survive.

"We have put our own life savings into our business. We are usually the last ones to get paid, if we get paid at all, and we do it by ourselves.

"We are independent and the lifeblood of your community. But we can’t do this by ourselves for much longer; in fact, for some of us, it is too late."

Heydon Village Tea Room, which is near Aylsham. (Image: Denise Bradley)

Ms Halls added that independent cafés and stores are "fundamentally different" to high street chains.

"We can’t make million-pound losses year after year as we expand across the country. If we make a loss, we might lose our house," she said.

She called for Mr Mayhew to join herself and other business owners and suppliers at a meeting on Friday to discuss their fears and work towards a solution.

Jerome Mayhew MP (Image: Newsquest)

Ms Halls has asked for the restructure of the business rate system to support the high street, "not punish it", and reduce VAT to help ease the pressure on rising prices.

She said: "These two actions may save the industry. Please come and see us."

It comes as the chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her spring statement, which has predicted that unemployment will be rising and economic growth has been downgraded.

© Eastern Daily Press