Gerrards Cross: Savanna Family Butchers 'forced' to close by landlord

The owner of a butcher shop in Gerrards Cross said an uncaring commercial landlord has ‘destroyed’ his family’s livelihood.

Davin Clement, 40, and his wife Cyreane, 41, moved to Gerrards Cross from South Africa in 2008 and set up Savanna Family Butchers at 32 Station Road shortly after.

The shop was created to “boost the prospects” of the pair’s two sons, aged 10 and 13 years old and for many years it “did very well”, growing a loyal local customer base and allowing Davin and Cyraene to live comfortably.

That all changed in the early 2020s, however, when the shop's building was sold to commercial landlord Life Less Ordinary (LLO), and work was announced to convert the three floors above Savanna Butchers into residential flats.

At the beginning of 2023, the developers “took off” the main structure of the top storeys, leaving only the structural pillars in place and, according to Davin, "exposing the shops on the bottom floor to the elements". 

The 40-year-old said the work caused significant issues from the off, with water leaking through the ceiling and damaging equipment every time it rained, taking a toll on both trade and "customer confidence in our shop".

The issues peaked in early May, when the shop's office area flooded and "destroyed" the electronics and computer system, tools that were "pivotal" for a normal business function. 

“We called the construction site manager straight away, and he said he was sorry and promised that everything would be replaced as soon as possible.

"But then months passed and it didn't get replaced. We sent multiple emails to LLO asking for updates and about the reasons for the delay, but we didn't get anything back.

"After that, it became more and more difficult to cover our bills because we couldn't update our prices and were forced to sell our stock at a loss."

Davin and Cyraene made the difficult decision to close the butchers in September last year after months of struggling to make ends meet.

Davin described LLO’s lack of accountability for the damage as “disgusting”, adding: “We tried our best to fund the upkeep with our own money, but it was an impossible task. The bills for a shop far exceed the bills of a normal household.

“Our landlord destroyed our livelihood and our dream to build something for our children.”

The couple is still having to scrape together funds to pay the outstanding bills and rent for their unit – a daunting prospect that they lack the financial means to fight against in court.

“Our neighbours in Gerrards Cross have been so supportive – we have had hugs and we have seen how much anger people in the area have against the system.

“I can’t understand it. We’ve gone to Citizens’ Advice, our MP and the government and all we’ve been told is that they can't help us or we should get a solicitor. Why aren’t small businesses being protected and how many other people has this happened to?”

A spokesperson for Life Less Ordinary said they were “sorry to hear” about Savanna Butchers’ closure “during this turbulent economic period”.

Adding: “As a developer and landlord, we are always conscious of our local community and support our tenants and local businesses as best we can to develop a stronger community and more desirable homes for our purchasers.

“In this situation, Life Less Ordinary has been totally compliant with all landlord development rights contained in the lease and provided continual transparency of our works.

“We continue to support all the tenants in the building by offering generous reductions to their rent and also providing rent-free periods to help support their trade.

“No reports of flooding have been made to us by any tenants, but all water ingress has been attended to quickly and any damage made good promptly to minimise disruption to trade.”