Independent bookshop closing after rise in bills
The Chicken and Frog bookshop initially managed to survive the Covid-19 lockdowns and subsequent cost-of-living increases
ByHenry Godfrey-Evans
Essex
An independent bookshop described as being a “haven” for families and neurodivergent children has announced it will close after 14 years.
The Chicken and Frog says it will leave Brentwood town centre in January after a huge increase in its bills and business rates.
Owner Natasha Radford, aka “Mrs Chicken”, also says the town’s footfall has been so low that at times she has gone a whole day without a sale.
The 53-year-old said she had been busy since announcing the news, with customers coming in for a hug and a farewell.
“It means the world because running your own business is difficult. It becomes all-consuming,” said Radford, a former teacher.
“So, to know that we’ve had a positive impact on people’s lives… it’s huge.”
Customer Stephanie has enjoyed taking her children to events at the shop
The shop’s absence will leave behind more than just empty bookshelves, as it runs workshops and provides a sensory space.
Stephanie took her neurodivergent child to the shop and said the news was “truly heartbreaking” and that it would be an “immense loss” to Brentwood.
The 36-year-old teacher described it as an “incredible haven” of “knowledge, support and community”.
“Natasha and her husband treated everyone who came into their shop as a close friend and went above and beyond to help,” she said.
“Her love for children and their wellbeing was felt in every part of that shop and every club and session she ran.”
Radford said her profit margins were thin, and a book she typically bought in at £4.05 would then sell for £6.99.
The business did not get the “deep discounts that the big boys get”, she explained.
On top of that, she said her electricity bills had tripled since first opening, and that what she paid annually in business rates had increased from £2,868 in 2024 to £8,435 this year.
The amount many businesses are paying in rates has increased because the government reduced its temporary 75% “relief” discount, external to 40% in April 2025.
Rates are also dictated by market rental value, and Radford pointed out that this disproportionately affected a town close to London like Brentwood.
Natasha Radford has brought her teaching background to her business on Brentwood’s Crown Street
Radford said communities felt “fragmented” and allowing hubs to close was a “massive oversight” by the government.
An HM Treasury spokesperson told the BBC that the autumn Budget gave High Street businesses “more breathing space”.
Traders will now only pay business rates once their rateable value reaches £18,000 – up from £12,000.
However, the spokesperson accepted that some areas were “more expensive than others”, meaning certain shops would not benefit.
Rental value was a “commercial decision” between landlords and businesses, they added.
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