Help secure the future of Lilac

Aim

We're seeking your support to secure the future of Lilac Bakery. We're faced with an expiring lease, and the building's up for sale.

We're Eddie and Jenn, the duo behind Lilac Bakery. For almost three years, we've poured our hearts and souls into making incredible coffee, crafting delicious pastries, sourdough bread and cakes for our beloved community in St Thomas.                                                                                                               Our journey began during the uncertain times of the COVID-19 pandemic, but after years of working in the hospitality industry, we felt the urge to create something of our own—a cosy haven where people could gather over treats and hot beverages. With a growing infatuation with pastry, Eddie spent much of his time sampling different recipes, watching YouTube videos and teaching himself how to make the perfect croissant, all in our home kitchen. What started as a dream during lockdown soon became a reality. With a lot of hard work and dedication, we transformed what was a rundown bookies into Lilac Bakery, an inviting space for the local community. Self taught bakers, we have a steadfast focus on sourcing the finest, most sustainable, free range, local, regenerative ingredients we can find. Working closely with our suppliers, we handcraft each and every item with love and care. Even through price rises, and the cost of living, we will always stand by this ethos.

Running Lilac is so much more than a job for us—it's a labour of love. From the (very) early mornings to the demands of the kitchen, we put every ounce of our energy into every loaf of bread, every buttery croissant and every coffee. The pay off - seeing the smiles on your's, our customers' faces. We've gotten to know at least 90% of you by name, by order, we know your latest news, we know about you and you know about us, and it’s exactly that which makes us want to stay so much. Seeing the queues out the door and down the street, all for what we do still humbles us.

Now, the bakery faces a new challenge - our lease. This is ending soon, the building is up for sale and in turn, the bakery's future has become uncertain. We risk losing the space and the community we've built together. We're determined to stay, to continue serving our loyal customers, and to expand our offerings. That's why we're turning to you, our community for help. With your support, we aim to secure the future of Lilac Bakery by purchasing the building. Your donation will go towards the 30% deposit needed for a commercial mortgage (£60,000), ensuring that Lilac Bakery remains a staple part of St Thomas for years to come.

For our last Crowdfunder, before opening the bakery, you helped us raise enough to buy one of our coffee grinders - so you are already well and truly part of this lilac love story - we were and are so grateful. In return for your generous support this time around, we're offering a range of rewards from free coffee, to pastries, to exclusive, one-off Lilac Bakery merchandise! With the security of owning our space we'll be able to invest in renovations and expanding our café area, creating an even more welcoming environment for everyone to enjoy.  

Please join us to keep this special place alive and continue sharing our passion for great food and community connection. Every contribution, no matter how small, brings us one step closer to our goal.                                                                                                                                                         Thank you for being part of the Lilac Bakery journey.

This project successfully funded on 18th April 2024