WITH the cost-of-living crisis having an impact on all areas of society, a business owner from Monmouthshire has made a heartfelt plea to customers.

In a social media post, James Durose of Raglan Dairy, which has been running since 2014, said he had seen an increasing number of customers cancel orders, citing costs.

“We are fully aware that budgets are tight, we as a business have been feeling it all year with the cost of diesel, power, and every single product we sell increasing in price,” he said. “We have tried our best to keep price increases to a minimum, but in order to survive as a business we have had to pass on increases.”

Although Mr Durose acknowledged his prices are slightly higher than those of large retailers – he added he felt the quality of his locally-sourced products and service offset this difference.

“We have also fought through snow, wind, and a heck of a lot of rain over the years, so to see long term customers go is quite disheartening to both myself and my drivers,” he added.

Continuing Mr Durose said he could “quite easily buy cheaper produce from further afield”, but felt “it’s just not the right thing to do”.

Concluding, he said: “Please continue to support your local independent coffee shops, restaurants, craft shops, newsagents, butchers, bakers and quite frankly anything else that is family run…and of course your local milkmen and women. One day they simply won’t be there.”