Owner of bakery says Britain is becoming 'less attractive by the day' for businesses after he was 'banned from Borough Market for being too successful'

The owner of a bakery that is being banned from Borough Market for being 'too successful' has said that Britain is becoming 'less attractive' for businesses.

Bread Ahead founder Matthew Jones alleged that his bakery was asked to leave Borough Market because his goods are so popular with visitors. 

He told the Daily Mail that the decision was indicative of the challenges faced by business owners in Britain. 

He said: 'It's tough enough running a business in London at the moment without having a big landlord come and shut you down. 

'It gets less attractive to run a business [in Britain] by the day.' 

The bakery has served doughnuts, sourdough, pastries and coffee to its customers in the world-famous Borough Market since 2013.

After entering a renewal process for its lease, the bakery was told that it had been 'too successful' and was told to leave the market, according to Mr Jones. 

He alleges that Borough Market told him opening new chains abroad went against its policy. Representatives of the market also told him that they do not have the space to house such a popular stall – because it attracts so many customers. 

Bread Ahead founder Matthew Jones has claimed that his Borough Market bakery has been forced to close down because it was 'too successful'

Bread Ahead is preparing to open a bakery in New York in November, which will be its first location in the US.

The company also has a number of sites across Asia and the Middle East – including in Bangkok, Dubai and Saudi Arabia.

'Does that mean that every business in the market that gets successful has to leave?' said Mr Jones.

'If you don't run a business well you are going to fail, but if it is successful - like mine has been - then you will be punished for it.' 

'What's the motivation for anybody to be entrepreneurial?' 

 Mr Jones founded Bread Ahead in 2013 after leaving school at 15 and going on to work as a chef.

The company has become an online sensation thanks to visitors' glowing reviews of its baked goods. 

The bakery owner told the Mail that it could cost up to £800,000 to move the shop out of Borough Market and into another London location. 

The bakery has become an online sensation thanks to visitors' glowing reviews of their products

He previously said that it could put the jobs of its 83 employees at risk. 

'We are doing everything we can within reason and then I'm being told I'm too successful. So they are ripping away half of my business. I can't replace that.' 

In 2014, the company opened its own bakery school to 'show the public just how easy baking good bread can be'.

He said that he had just launched an initiative to teach a million children how to bake for free. 

He has now accused Borough Market of engaging in 'tall poppy syndrome' – an idea that those who stand out through success are cut down. 

Mr Jones previously said: 'I left school at 15 and was a chef, I worked for 30 years and built a business from nothing.

'I've never borrowed a penny in my life. I've built this, I'm bootstrapped to this business. It's unbelievable, the devastating effect. 

'If they pull this through it would mean the loss of 83 jobs in London, it would mean the loss of a business there.

'It's incomprehensible, the stress that I'm under right now.'

He said that the market had given him a year to 'wind down' operations. 

Bread Ahead is set to open a bakery in New York in November, which will be its first location in the US 

A spokesman for Borough Market said: 'Our relationships with traders are really important to us, whether they're actively trading or as part of our alumni of success stories. No matter how long businesses are with us for, we value their contribution to making Borough Market what it is.

'As a responsible landlord, our decisions around lease renewals are made through a formal process and communicated to the trader well in advance of the expiry date. We continue to be in contact with the Bread Ahead team about their future at the market, but as discussions relating to individual tenancies are confidential it would not be appropriate to comment on the specific details of this case.

'Our approach is to apply these processes fairly and consistently, while ensuring Borough Market continues to evolve and thrive as one of London’s leading food destinations where independent businesses can thrive.'

Meanwhile, one of the oldest businesses that operates in Borough Market is also facing closure. 

Maria's Market Café, which has been trading for 65 years, is facing closure after the market also said their lease would not be renewed. 

Emma Leyton, who helps run the café, said: 'The future's looking quite bleak. There's already a sense of loss, remorse and confusion.' 

Hospitality owners have been beset with challenges in the past few years. 

Former chancellor Rachel Reeves increased the employer National Insurance contribution rate from 13.8 per cent to 15 per cent and reduced the secondary threshold to £5,000.

This caused fury among hospitality firms because it dragged many part-time and lower-paid staff into the tax for the first time.

Allen Simpson, the chief executive of UK Hospitality, said that the NICs change was ‘the single biggest contribution to job losses we have seen in hospitality over the last two years’. 

Now, ministers are laying out plans for a massive 'tourist tax' in England - as fears grow that it could fuel a jobs bloodbath.

Mayors and other local leaders will get powers to impose charges on accommodation in Labour's latest move to raise revenues. 

That could add hundreds of pounds to the costs of holidays, with businesses warning that tens of thousands of roles in hospitality are at risk.