Target reached!
Our first goal will help stabilise the business. The second goal will give us a cush...
JAFRA
Bristol, Bristol City, United Kingdom
Aim
HELP SAVE JAFRA
HELP SAVE JAFRA
The spike in Coronavirus infections has meant JAFRA has been unable to remain open this winter. With no substantial support in sight, and having weathered the Coronavirus storm since our inception, we are in danger of slipping through the cracks.
We’re asking our amazing customers to help us, by pre-purchasing some of our products on our crowd funder, to give us a short term boost to remain operational in 2022.
JAFRA has yet to function in a time of calm. We believe we have a lot more growth ahead of us, having acquired tools to survive almost anything in the last 12 months. We’re just at the start of our journey with an array of events and experiences in the pipeline, all with delicious food at the heart.
THE STORY SO FAR...
Those who are close to us will know most of JAFRA’s story well. For those that don’t, we think it is important to share our journey, warts and all, beyond the rose-tinted lens of social media and our sunny disposition.
Back in October 2019 we bought a mobile set up that included a vintage bus renovated into a fully functioning kitchen, stretch tent, stage and seating for 200. We quit our jobs and set about creating an atmospheric, safe and otherworldly space for people to play and be nourished in. No sooner had we built our concept and confirmed our last booking, Coronavirus landed, wiping out 15 festivals we had lined up in an instant. The next month, just as we’d figured out a new plan, we had the gut-wrenching news that our bus had been broken into and thousands of pounds worth of essential equipment had been stolen. It had been stripped bare. Our insurance wouldn’t cover the losses. We started to feel that, at least for now, it wasn't to be. It was a heartbreaking moment in time.
Ever the eternal optimists, we held on, thinking the situation would ease off, but it became evident very soon that Coronavirus was here to stay. So we re-lit the idea BBQ and went at it again. Faced with a blank canvas, we thought about all the things we wanted our venture to embody: great hospitality, togetherness and most of all, fresh, vibrant flavours that caused an involuntary reaction. As we shared Middle Eastern heritage, we felt comfortable in this space, and I had been eating Palestinian food my whole life. JAFRA was born. A concept that would highlight the culture and flavours of Palestine; Olives, lemons, sumac, tahini, mint, shatta, smoke, and fuse them with the very best local ingredients. What could go wrong, we thought, but nothing is ordinary in these extraordinary times...
The beat of the story to the present day remains the same. We've navigated each new crisis by being resilient and pliable. In the depths of lockdown, we launched finish at home HABIBI boxes. When the streets were empty, we went mobile, taking our food to the people while they sat in the sun. Soon, with a lot of sweat and tears, word was getting out and we started to land more opportunities than we could handle, catering for some incredible projects; the Paraorchestra, Propyard, H Hour Productions and even some summer weddings.
We then landed residencies at The Love Inn & Strange Brew; two of Bristol’s most revered music venues. This finally gave us the consistency we had been searching for, and allowed us to work with two like-minded organisations which gave us the room to grow our incredible team and further evolve our food and style.
The last couple of years has been the most exciting, exhilarating and rewarding experience, whilst simultaneously being the most depleting and testing challenge of our lives. Every time we thought we reached the edge, we'd push a little further. Always managing to find a bit more room. But now, as the latest surge of Coronavirus has hit, we've had to shutter-up early during the most crucial part of the year, placing us in a very dire financial situation. We have gone as far as we can go on our own and are looking to our amazing customers and community for support.
We have been incredibly humbled by the reaction and support for everything we've done since day one. Our new home at The Love Inn and Strangebrew has given us fertile ground to build from, while creating incredible food for everyone to enjoy. Supporting this Crowd Funder will give us the much-needed, short-term boost we need to remain operational in 2022.
We’ve thoroughly enjoyed the journey so far and we’re not ready to give up. Our core ethos is to give back to people through great food and amazing experiences, your support will help us to keep doing this.
HOW IT WORKS
Either donate, or pre-buy one of our products listed on the right of this page. Products will be available to claim in the new year. We will communicate directly with you to let you know what the next steps are, depending on the product you have purchased.
HABIBI BOXES
We’re bringing back our finish at home HABIBI BOXES, so that people can enjoy feasting at home with loved ones this winter.
Buy a box NOW and reclaim it on our website in the new year. Collections and deliveries will be weekly on Saturdays between January and February. Details to follow.
CHOOSE FROM
- HABIBI BOX (LAHME OR NABATI) 2 - 3 PEOPLE - £50
- HABIBI BOX (LAHME OR NABATI) 2 - 3 PEOPLE WITH A BOTTLE OF JAFRA SIGNATURE COCKTAIL - £70
Box menus will be available to choose from in the new year on our website (there will be a meat and vegan option available).
OTHER DONATIONS
We have a limited amount of high ticket items and smaller donations that can be made. These include:
- GIFT CARD
- JAFRA MERCH DONATION - £30
- LOVE INN BANQUET - £100
- JAFRA LOYALTY CARD - £200
- TEAM CATERED LUNCH FOR UP TO 30 - £600
- CATERED PRIVATE PARTY FOR UP TO 100 - £4000
Our crowd funder will end early January, so we only have THREE WEEKS to raise the funds to keep us going into the new year.
We thank everyone who's supported us in one way or another so far. You've shown us so much love and support from the start.
With love,
Omar, Holly and the rest of the JAFRA team x
NB: Do not purchase a HABIBI BOX unless you live in Bristol. They can only be delivered to post codes up to BS9, or collected from the cafe.
This project successfully funded on 12th January 2022