Help Heppells Chocolatier Patissier Beat Corona

We opened our fantastic family business at the end of 2018 after I served 22 years in the Royal Air Force. We supply bespoke handmade chocolate products to restaurants that they use as main elements for their desserts. Our customers include The Ivy Brasseries & Cafés as well as San Carlo Group who have many restaurants situated in Selfridges, Covent Garden, Piccadilly and 18 more across the UK.

Unfortunately, we had to stop trading when the government announced that all restaurants are to close due to the outbreak. This has left us with zero income into the business. We are determined to survive the COVID-19 outbreak, and until now believed that we could go it alone. Not any longer! 

Like so many other small, independent businesses, we faced an unpredictable and potentially very grave future and we need your help. Our insurance, although it covers notifiable diseases, will not pay out for loss of business due to Coronavirus.

Whilst we are aware of other support being offered, we’re very apprehensive to take a loan from the government in case we find ourselves in a position where we can’t pay it back, and unfortunately we are not entitled to the small cash grant of £10,000 as we work from home.

We are at a particularly vulnerable time on our journey, having not long been operating and having done so with no external investment (thus just savings and bank loans)! 

All funds raised on this page will be used to:

• Support our staff financially
• Pay business running costs
• Pay our suppliers
• Maintain our equipment
• Replace essential equipment that had broken down previously

Right now we have no choice but to ask for help from anyone who is able- please dig deep if you can! For larger donations, we’re offering rewards- but we would like to say that we can’t guarantee that we’ll be able to fulfill these rewards should we be forced to stop trading permanently. Rewards can be redeemed if and when it is safe and viable to do so. If you would like to make a donation of any size, without receiving a reward, you can do that too. Just select how much you would like to donate, or type in your own amount. 

Whilst we are on lockdown we will continue to develop and create new ideas for our customers so that when they re-open, diners across the UK can enjoy an elevated experience when visiting the restaurants we supply

We thank you all for your amazing support and look forward to seeing you when it’s safe to reopen. 

Stay safe
Richie