Alderbury-based Alexander Chocolate shares worry of second lockdown

This worry (47 per cent) beats cashflow (44 per cent) and being in debt (20 per cent) as owners fear the detrimental impact that another lockdown could have on sales, customer relationships and paying staff and bills. The research was carried out for Amaiz by 3Gem.

Alexander Seaton of Alderbury-based Alexander Chocolate said: “We’re a luxury chocolate brand, so predominantly serve the hospitality industry. The lockdown was devastating; we lost 90 per cent of our sales overnight. That business is now returning. I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to say that I would be in tears if, after all the struggles of the last few months and surviving on almost no income, we had to halt the business again.”

The government put in place a number of measures to help small businesses affected by the lockdown. However, many, like Alexander Chocolate, didn’t qualify for government help. This could be for a variety of reasons. In the chocolate maker’s case, it had not been in operation long enough, so was left with nothing but outgoings.

Matt Goddard, head of acquisitions at Amaiz sympathised: “Alexander Chocolate and Verity Clarke Hair are just two of the numerous small businesses we’ve spoken to, during the lockdown, about their struggles, and it is has been heart-breaking to see successful businesses, run by hard-working owners, reduced to nothing. Most are resilient, they have to be to run a business, but a second lockdown, like the one we saw in Leicester, is a terrifying nightmare for many of them.”

Alderbury-based Alexander Chocolate is optimistic about the future, provided the easing of restrictions continues.

Alexander added: “One of the first orders after ‘super Saturday’ was for 62.9kg of chocolate, which, coincidently, is exactly my body weight.

“I hope it is a sign that we’ll bounce back. We’re relieved and grateful that our customers are loyal and are returning to us.”