🥺I cannot believe this photo was taken 5 years ago.
This was our first day with our mobile cafe at Bury St Edmunds station. We launched our business 6 months before this photo (in 2019) and had always planned to have a permanent weekday spot (in addition to festivals and events).
Armed with some branded sweatshirts, barista coffee, brownies and a smile, we were so excited about our new venture.
Within a few days our dreams were shattered as a storm raged through the east of England meaning that there were no trains for a couple of weeks. Immediately after that cleared up, as a family we all started suffering with breathing difficulties and fevers. It got so bad, we decided to shut the hatch of our beloved trailer in early March. Lockdown shortly followed.
We spent weeks worrying about how on earth we were going to support our family with no jobs. This was when I had my crazy idea to deliver “door-step brownies” as a stop-gap to get us through the next few months. We had rent to pay on our pitch at Bury St Edmunds station, so of course we’d go back and fulfil our contract until the end of the year.
5 years on and we never went back to Bury St Edmunds station…
But we did end up brining back coffee and doing events and festivals again.
Looking back at these photos now, it feels like a lifetime ago that all this happened. Our business has changed SO much and we’d never dreamt we’d end up where we have- owning a bakery.
There’s no sugar coating it, small business is really hard at the moment. We are all suffering the various economic strains and the butterfly effects that each of these have. So many businesses have closed recently and I’ve no doubt that many more will follow over the coming year.
If you’re keen to help small businesses, there are so many ways you can do so without spending a penny. Every like, comment, share, recommendation and follow helps small businesses to be seen by more people. Leaving positive reviews helps them to rank higher up the algorithm.
Thank you for being the small business champions you are. We wouldn’t be here without you xx