Inverness café owner still dealing with effects of fatal Hilton fire reluctantly seeking to sell business
A popular Inverness cafe’s owner who is still dealing with the traumatic effects of a devastating fire that killed her former life partner is reluctantly seeking to step away from the business they both ran.
Gemma Taylor lost her former partner Andy Adams - who is also the father of their daughter Rebecca - in a house fire in Hilton in the summer.
She is now seeking a new owner for the Blend Tea and Coffee Merchants café in Drummond Street.
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The business only reopened in July, several days after the night-time blaze in Tomatin Road, and at the time Gemma said the move had been born of financial necessity because “as any small business in a tourist town knows, these days are vital in summer to keep the place going”.
However, in a fresh update this week now the summer is over, she added that with all the trauma of Andy’s death, funeral and loss of a home of nearly 20 years, “it really seems like now is the time to prioritise personal life, to try and take a bit of time to recover, and face whatever comes next with trying to put our lives back together”.
To that end, she is seeking a buyer for the business in the hope someone with the “same values and vision as we did when we started this journey” can “hopefully keep it going for the next 10 years!”
Taking to the cafe’s Facebook page, she said: “As most people know, Blend has been on the market for some time now. It was a semi-reluctant decision to put it up for sale, because it has been such an important part of our lives, and this past year I've had some very positive conversations with people which reignited my enthusiasm for the business.
“We had big plans going into the summer, including exciting rebranding, a general spruce up/refresh, evening events, Sunday opening. However these last two months have become more about just putting one foot in front of the other.
“The initial shock of the fire, dealing with the loss of life, the funeral, trying to buy even the essentials, took up a lot of time and energy. It's not really even begun to sink in about the trauma, or the loss of a home for nearly 20 years. This all happened at the height of summer when we just can't afford to lose trading, so there wasn't much choice but to go back to work after three days, or just long enough to buy a pair of jeans and a few T-shirts.
“We've been so fortunate to have a place to stay with my mum and dad, and we've been very well looked after. However we don't know how long it will be before we have a place to call home again.
“As a result of all this going on, it really seems like now is the time to prioritise personal life, to try and take a bit of time to recover, and face whatever comes next with trying to put our lives back together. I would love to keep Blend going myself, but it needs someone with the time, energy and money to invest in the upgrades needed and hopefully keep it going for the next 10 years! So the goal is to find someone who wants to keep it going and shares the same values and vision as we did when we started this journey, that would mean so much to me.
“We currently have the business listed at a considerably lower price than before, however if anyone is seriously interested in taking over the business and continuing it as Blend I would suggest getting in touch with me to discuss, regardless of the asking price. Please feel to message/send any queries, either here or to gemma@ourblend.co.uk and I will happily be free for a chat.”
The business is currently listed on Rightmove as a leasehold for offers of £20,000.
For more information about the listing visit www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/85822842
