My business, Lapin Flowers and Coffee, has celebrated being open for two months with a 5 food hygiene rating an alcohol license to sell on and off premises from noon until 10.30 pm seven days a week.
We would like to thank every single person who signed our petition as without this support my son would not have his bedroom and I would not have been able to open the shop.
It has been a labour of love restoring the old shop on Balmoral Terrace in South Bank – and we are thrilled at everyone’s enthusiasm towards the effort that had been put in.
My builder Paul Cross and his team have done an amazing job, also John Webster, Gala Signs and Starel Stones. We really wanted to to offer something that represented the significant history of the area and the building and hope we have achieved that, whilst giving it a more modern appeal, with a European feel.
The model has always been about sustainability with support from Councillors D’Agorne and Carr and others, who noted that they could not imagine a more sustainable business model. This was a very important grounding point.
The place is already a little buzzing hub to the community and I look forward to launching our first evening event very soon.
Completely unexpected
We offer fully sustainable flowers, grown just half an hour down the road with no pesticides or chemicals, they are arranged for free (I am a level three qualified florist) and I offer the vases at cost price with a free hot drink (or £1.50 off your next purchase for the smaller vases).
Sammie from Kiddal Quarry Farm has been our main supplier and Hattie from Gathered at Dusk and Dot from Field 216 have also helped us.
We sell Roost coffees and Hebden teas and homemade cakes and sandwiches using C&S sourdough and Knavesmire butchers. Fred’s bakers also make us exclusive cookies.
We also have an alcohol license and York Wines have helped us curate a sustainable wine collection and we also sell Cooper King and Brew York.
HFF supply daily ingredients and milk that comes from a local diary cooperative. It’s been so wonderful to work with so many great local and sustainable suppliers; experts in their fields.
We are also selling art by local artists and the commission is to be used for a project for Kyra and IDAS. I’m really looking forward to using the open space we have kept to invite in a range of artists and to offer workshops and tasting events.
It’s been so lovely to finally open the door and the positive feedback has been overwhelming! I have been bestowed with a number of kind gifts and showered with kind words. After everything I went through to get here to be thanked for doing it was completely unexpected.
The first event at Lapin Flowers and Coffee, a reading from fantasy novel Holly Trinity and the Ghosts of York, takes place on Friday (27 October). Other events at Lapin are on its website