Roses the bakers: 'We’re being taxed out of existence' warns 80-year-old Sheffield bakers shop as costs rise
Sheffield’s Roses Sandwich Shop warns rising costs and taxes are putting independent businesses under pressure.
A Sheffield bakery that has been part of the city for more than 80 years has captured national attention after a heartfelt social media post about the pressures facing small businesses went viral.
A family legacy
Roses Sandwich Shop, run by husband-and-wife team Seuranie and Mark Johnstone, has been serving Sheffield since 1940.
The bakery, one of the city’s oldest family-run businesses, was founded by Seuranie’s grandfather and has been passed down through three generations.
The bakery has multiple locations across the city, but on this occasion The Star visited the shop on Sandygate lane.
When we spoke to Seuranie, she was standing near trays of freshly baked mince pies cooling on the counter.
The smell of pastry filled the small shop as she spoke about the history behind Roses.
“My grandad started the business, then my dad, and now Mark and I,” she said.
“There’s a lot of history here and a lot we’ve been through - the pandemic, rationing... But we love what we do and we care about doing it properly.”
The bakery now employs 48 staff members, from bakers to confectioners and shop assistants. Seuranie spoke warmly about the team.
“We have some wonderful people,” she said. “We care about them and want to keep supporting them. That’s really important to us.”
Rising costs and uncertainty
Running a small business in 2025, however, is not without its challenges.
Seuranie and Mark explained that rising costs for ingredients, wages and national insurance have put increasing pressure on their operations.
Mark explained that price rises aren’t about profit, but survival.
“When the prices keep going higher to pay staff, or national insurance, or tax - we have to absorb the costs, and that is reflected in our prices going up,” he said.
“Sometimes the consumer may not understand it, but we are not profiting from this rise, we’re just trying to stay afloat.”
Seuranie added that lower profitability also affects the ability to reinvest in the business.
“We’d love to open new stores or try different things but it’s difficult when everything is squeezed,” she said.
The couple said uncertainty around the upcoming government budget had prompted Seuranie to post her thoughts online.
“We’re really nervous about what’s going to be announced,” she said.
“The last budget brought in some costs we didn’t expect. This one has been hazy, not many details, and we worry we may have tax rises.”
Support from the community
The Instagram post, written after a long day in the bakery, struck a chord far beyond Sheffield.
Seuranie said messages of support poured in from other small business owners, and customers who regularly shop at Roses.
“As soon as we put it on, we had lots of businesses saying they were in the exact same situation, under the same pressures, and having the same worries,” she explained.
“And then our customers started commenting too, saying they love our shop and will keep supporting us. That really helps us.”
“I’m not political - I’m a baker”
The post itself, which has been shared widely, began with an honest declaration:
“I don’t normally write things like this … but I’m scared for my bakery,” she wrote.
In it, she described the family history and challenges they have faced:
“I’m not political, I’m a baker. I get up early, work long hours, and run a third-generation Sheffield bakery opened by my grandad in 1940.
“We’ve survived rationing, recessions, and even my dad’s heart attack. We’ve kept going even when we lost him. Our ovens have never stopped.”
She continued, warning that policy changes, not competition, now pose the greatest threat.
Rising costs for ingredients, wages, and national insurance, along with high taxes, were putting independent businesses at risk.
“Bakeries, cafés, butchers, pubs - we’re being taxed out of existence. Ahead of the budget, small businesses need a fair chance. Thank you to everyone that supports us, it means more than ever.”
Looking ahead
Despite the challenges, Seuranie and Mark are determined to keep Roses going.
“We want to keep going for another 85 years,” Seuranie said. “We’re not going anywhere. We care deeply about our work, our team, and our community.
“We support local people, and they support us.”
She gestured to the freshly baked mince pies cooling on the counter.
“We sell handmade, from bread to mince pies. We’re proud of that, and we want Sheffield to keep having independent businesses to enjoy. Every time someone shops with us, it makes a real difference.”
Government response
In response to these concerns, a Government spokesperson said: “Pubs, restaurants and cafes are vital to local communities, that's why we’re cutting the cost of licensing, lowering their business rates and helping more hospitality businesses offer pavement drinks and al fresco dining, on top of cutting alcohol duty on draught pints and capping Corporation Tax.”
Government information outlines that business rates relief for retail, hospitality and leisure was due to end in April 2024, but instead rates have been protected from inflation and a 40 per cent relief extension has been put in place for 250,000 businesses until April 2026, ahead of the introduction of a new permanent lower rate.
An interim report on business rates reform will be published in the coming weeks, with more detailed policy to follow in the Autumn Budget 2025.
According to government figures, 43 per cent of employers – around 865,000 – will pay no employer National Insurance contributions this year.
More than half of employers will see no change or a reduction in their NICs bill due to the increase in the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500, and those benefitting are all micro, small or medium-sized businesses.
As part of its Plan for Small Businesses, the government says it is reforming licensing rules to support hospitality venues by protecting outdoor drinking and dining and reducing administrative burdens.
It is also offering support for pubs, cafés and restaurants through expert advice on cutting energy use and emissions, with the trial expected to save the sector more than £3 million.
Separate government documents state that reforms are underway to overhaul the business rates system, including removing cliff edges for Small Business Rates Relief and modernising collection processes to help small firms grow.
Roses has survived war, economic turmoil and global crises.
With the support of their staff and community, the Johnstones hope the ovens on this Sheffield street will keep baking for generations to come.