It’s good to see busy villages all over the Chew Valley, with residents and visitors making use of the local facilities, shopping or relaxing and enjoying the range of refreshments on offer. They are a strong sign that our local economy is thriving, which is good news for the whole community. Despite some improved bus services, it is a rural area so the majority of people will be using their cars to get around. It’s vital for businesses that their customers can access their

One of the things we regularly hear from our members is their desire for certainty, so they can plan properly when running their business. But that is something that seems to be in short supply at the moment. For example, the cost of energy is vitally important, particularly for those in the hospitality sector, but the situation in the Middle East seems to be as unstable as ever and so oil and gas prices are likely to fluctuate, making budgeting all but impossible. Whilst

As a business organisation, our members are obviously keen to see a successful local economy which allows them to continue to provide the jobs, goods, services and social activities which benefit the whole community, ensuring that our villages remain sustainable and vibrant. One important element of that is having a sufficient housing supply and in the next few weeks Bath and North East Somerset Council will be considering its Local Plan, a vital document, which will set ou

Every time we have a members’ meeting we learn new things and benefit from sharing knowledge and experiences and our latest gathering in the Stoke Inn was no exception. I was able to update people on the state of our membership, standing at more than 40 companies, which is excellent for a small rural Chamber. As we have been running independently for 25 years in 2026 we are inviting members to suggest what sort of social event they would like to see to celebrate the landmar

We will be gathering in the Stoke Inn from 6.30 with the meeting starting at 7pm. People can raise whatever topics they wish, but in particular it will be interesting to hear how businesses are coping with rising costs on a variety of fronts.

The news that the Bristol Blue Glass company is to close imminently got me reflecting on how lucky we are to have so many long established businesses who have served the Chew Valley for decades and bring so much to the community by providing jobs as well as goods and services. We cannot take our companies for granted as the cautionary tale of Bristol Blue Glass warns us. They say they desperately tried to stay afloat but seem to have eventually sunk under the weight of mult

By Rod Podger, Vice President: As if running a business were not difficult enough, there are regular changes to the tax laws that make it tricky to keep up to date. Luckily for members, Chew Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Vice President, Rod Podger, from Underwood Lamb, always has his ear to the ground. When it comes to His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), there are often moving goal posts and sometimes you are not even sure which game you are playing. What do we know fo

Travelling around the Chew Valley should be a pleasurable experience, whether you are in a car, walking or cycling. However, that simple enjoyment is now being ruined by the curse of roadside litter, virtually everywhere you look. Sometimes it looks as though an individual food wrapper or can of drink has been thoughtlessly tossed out a car window, but in other areas there’s a lot more rubbish, which I suspect has come off something like an uncovered skip or an overloaded r

It was good to start the New Year with a members’ meeting at the Stoke Inn. We had a catch up and found that on the whole, members’ businesses were doing well, thanks to the quality of the personal services they offer. I am also pleased to say we continue to attract new members who bring fresh voices to our meetings and broaden the already wide range of businesses within our membership. On a more sombre note, I had to formally report the sad passing of Roger Dando, a long-t

I would like to wish you a very Happy New Year and I really mean the “happy” part of that greeting. There is so much bad news on a wide range of fronts that it is all too easy to fall into despondency, complaining that nothing works properly and suggesting it’s impossible to do anything about it. That’s the road to a spiral of depression which doesn’t help anyone. Whilst we have to be realistic about the things that are going on around us, I really hope that in 2026 we ca