Rubbish piles leave sour taste for chocolate maker

Owner condemns council service at ‘pig sty’ business park

- KIRSTY BOSLEY News Reporter

FRUSTRATED Birmingham chocolatier fighting to keep his company afloat says that the business park he operates out of has become a ‘pig sty’

Neil Hughes of Kneals Chocolates is well known at Birmingham's artisan and farmers’ markets, selling hand-crafted chocolate alongside his wife Gaelle.

But his base at the Birmingham City Council-owned Montgomery Street Business Centre in Sparkbrook has been poorly maintained, despite maintenance fee hikes.

He says a security gate is often not in operation. It means the base has fallen victim to flytippers who often dump massive piles of rubbish.

He posted photos to his followers online and said: “In case you're wondering why I keep complaining, Birmingham City Council decided that it was fair to increase our service charges by 123%... for this! This problem is nothing to do with the current bin strike situation.”

Mr Hughes has worked at the Sparkbrook business centre since 2011. The council put the venue up for sale in 2019 and again in 2021 much to the chagrin of businesses there. Tenants even offered to buy out the centre.