Warwickshire mobile bar company Sip 'n' Swig has been forced to leave its much loved HQ on the Alscot Estate after months of uncertainty around business rates and rising operating costs.

The move brings an end to a small but growing hospitality space on the estate that hosted cocktail masterclasses, collaborative workshops with other small, local businesses and The Estate Bar, a weekly pop up pub where locals could drop in for drinks.

Giles and Jodie Stagg, the husband and wife team behind Sip 'n' Swig, say the decision came down to a lack of clarity and pressure of increasing costs.

The South Warwickshire business has been forced into a smaller unit on the same estate.

"With no clarity on what we would actually be paying and the possibility of covering hundreds of pounds each month while waiting potentially another year or more for a response, it simply wasn't a risk we could take," the team said.

"Our HQ wasn't just a workspace.

"It had become a place where people could come together for The Estate Bar, cocktail masterclasses and workshops run by other small businesses."

Giles and Jodie said the space had become more than just a base for the mobile bar business, it offered a place to bring people together, support other small businesses and create events for the estate community and wider audiences.

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The couple said, following a recent revaluation, the government's online calculator suggested the company's business rates could increase from £230 in 2024, to £500 2025-2026 up to around £900 per month from April 2026.

However, with the new financial year just weeks away, they still have no confirmation of what the rates will actually be or whether they qualified for any relief.

Believing the valuation to be incorrect, the team began the formal process through the Valuation Office Agency.

They first submitted a 'check', which took seven months to complete.

While the valuation was eventually revised slightly lower, the business says "obvious issues" with the assessment were still missed.

Stratford District Council suggested they could support Sip 'n' Swig but with a delay in them responding, the only option was to submit a formal 'challenge' to the valuation another month later.

This a process that requires businesses themselves to propose what they believe their rates should be.

The agency can then take a further 12 to 18 months to respond, during which time the business must continue paying the disputed amount.

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The company is now moving into a much smaller storage unit, still on the Alscot Estate.

While it allows Sip 'n' Swig to continue delivering its mobile bar services for weddings, corporate events and private parties, the new space is not suitable for hospitality or public events.

"We're grateful to still be based on the estate, but it's sad to lose the ability to host people and create experiences," the team added.

"It also removes an accessible space for other small businesses to run workshops and collaborate."

The team hopes the experience highlights wider challenges facing independent businesses navigating the current business rates system.

"Revaluations should be about ensuring rates are correct, not simply increased," they continued.

"The current check and challenge process creates long delays and puts the responsibility on small businesses to tell the agency what their valuation should be.

"We hope the system evolves so businesses are supported to reach the right result rather than spending months in uncertainty."

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Sip 'n' Swig will continue operating its mobile bar services and cocktail masterclasses across the UK from its new base on the estate.

Find out more on the Sip 'n' Swig website here.