Owners of Edlesborough’s Heirloom Cafe thank community as crowdfunder saves the day

Adeline and Scott Vining, directors of Heirloom Cafe on the village high street, set up an online fundraiser in May and were astounded to reach their target of £5,000 just six days later.

As Covid-19 forced their business to shut its doors, the couple decided to run a takeaway service, but the new direction would mean “drastic changes” and extra costs.

Speaking about how she felt when the fundraising target was hit, Adeline, 34, said: “I was walking around in a blind daze. I just couldn’t believe it. I’d put it out there and hadn’t looked, because I was scared of disappointment.

“I honestly don’t think we’d be here now. It’s sounds crazy, but when your business isn’t making any money, £5,000 is a massive amount.”

The couple have been touched by the generosity of customers, with the grand total raised being £6,173.

The fundraiser has paid for a shopfit to include display fridges and freezers, allowing for more retail space, while any money left over was used to help cover rent and buy additional baking pans.

Writing on their Crowdfunder page, the couple said: “We were thrown a lifeline, when we realised we could still operate as a takeaway and offer home deliveries. So we went full throttle and removed most of the furniture from the cafe to allow a safe space for customers to enter and be served, one at a time, without risking their health.”

Adeline and Scott have been working flat out, and all with two small children to look after, too... Edith, seven, and Orson, five.

Adeline added: “It feels like the cafe belongs to everyone.

“We’re building a community. Everything we do from this point onwards will be possible thanks to the help of everyone around us.”