Music cafe forced to close after seven years

Paradiddles music cafe bar owners Rachel and Kit Hale Patrick say closing their doors after seven years is a sign of the "financial times that we're in"

A live music cafe in Worcester is closing it doors after seven years blaming rising bills and running costs.

The owners of Paradiddles, a cafe and music bar, said the likes of rising rent, stock and utility prices and a drop in customer numbers had for coming to visit had forced their hand.

Rachel and Kit Hale-Patrick said the ongoing dream of offering "a space for an arts community to grow" had become unsustainable and later it will close its doors for the last time.

But that moment won't come until they enjoy a farewell night to remember, with live music from new and old bands that have taken to the stage over the years.

"Us closing is the sign of the economy and the financial times that we're in," said Ms Hale-Patrick.

"Everything is going up, rent, electricity, just the cost of our goods is going up and unfortunately we just can't keep up.

"It's something that is happening to other grass roots venues especially and the arts aren't supported as well as they should be."

Mr Hale-Patrick said although loyal customers were still coming through the door, their number was not enough to continue meeting the costs of running an independent bar.

'Cider would need to be £9'

"It's a really funny one, because our customers try to support us by coming in and buying from us, but the margins still get squeezed," he said.

"Wages going up, product prices have gone up insanely and you'd have to charge £9 for a bottle of cider to get a good bit of profit."

The bar first opened in 2017 after the building had been empty for several years when an estate agent closed down.

The couple fully refitted it themselves and welcomed customers and musicians from around the world.

A community built on friendship and music is their proudest achievement, they said and, despite it being the last call, they are grateful they were able to live out their dream of owning the venue.

Rachel said: "We're enormously proud and even though we're sad it's ending the one thing that is keeping us happy about everything is the lasting effect this place is going to have on our customers, musicians in the city and us.

"We've made so many friends over the years, people have met here and gone on to get married and we've seen that journey

"Although it's been difficult I'd love to do it all over again."