Front Room Cafe manager Robert Horsley (left), with chef Sam and son Rufus. The Finsbury Park business is fighting to survive

INDEPENDENT businesses are taking special measures as eye-watering bills and the cost-of-living crisis pile on extra pressure.

Owners said they fear for the future as they try to bounce back from the pandemic as the Tribune visited shops around Stroud Green Road, Finsbury Park, this week.

A barber shop and an ice cream parlour have already closed in the area.

Robert Horsley, 57, manager of Front Room Cafe in Tollington Park, said: “I’ve never experienced anything like this before. I’ve had quiet days but nothing to this degree. Look at it now, it’s dead.”

Mr Horsley is paying £200 a month for gas and is bracing for a 70 per cent increase in bills.

The Pretty Shiny Shop in Stroud Green Road

The 20-year-old cafe is a family business Mr Horsley runs with his son, Rufus, and a small kitchen staff. He often works alone to cut costs and other businesses have also taken drastic measures, and the cafe is now renting out space to film crews to help bring in some extra money.

For Mr Horsley and his peers, the high street is not just vital for their livelihood, but their wellbeing, too.

“When you’re stuck at home you start to question things and you have that existential angst: Am I going to make the bills this week? Can I pay my rent this month?,” he said.

“The high street is about community spirit and I like coming to work knowing I might have a conversation or meet someone – it’s good for my mental health.”

Georgina Black of the Pretty Shiny Shop

Georgina Black, 49, the owner-operator of gift shop Pretty Shiny Shop in Stroud Green Road, said: “We are not keen to increase prices, so we are working hard to keep prices low and I take the hit personally.

“It’s hard because people do not come in that often and more often do things online. People do not spend as much as they used to because everything is more expensive.”

Pretty Shiny Shop’s costs increased after their products were stuck in shipping containers for two months, said Ms Black, who plans to open an online store to compete.

Amid the strain, a WhatsApp group of Stroud Green Road traders has grown, where businesses support each other by offering advice, such as recommendations for plumbers and electricians.

Andrea Sergiu, owner of Greek eatery Brick and Olive, said: “We have a community where we help each other but we wonder how long we can stick it out. We have reduced our staff and we have to work harder. It is difficult to think of new ideas. Sometimes there is no clear footpath.”