Cosy coffee shop and florist in East Sussex village thrives thanks to word-of-mouth: popular spot for cyclists and families offers children’s play space

Bay & Bellflower owner Cara Goddard, 36, has been running the shop in the High Street since August 8.

Cara, who lives in Handcross with her husband and three children, said she decided in March to open the business while pursuing floristry.

She said: “I was browsing commercial properties one evening, not with any real serious intent, just seeing what was out there, and I stumbled across this shop. The next day I came along and peered through the windows and fell in love. I drafted an entire business plan to convince my husband it was a good idea.”

She said: “It just went from one thing to another and then suddenly I’m in charge of florist/coffee shop. It’s all been a bit of a whirlwind.”

Cara said her shop offers coffee, cakes, toasties and flowers, including bouquets, as well as other floristry services.

“We try to use local suppliers where we can,” she said, adding that she uses Guns N Posies Bakery, who attend Lewes Farmers Market, for her brownies. She said: “I’m about to set up a little retail section as well, where we’re going to have a couple of local potters’ bits and pieces for sale.”

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Cara is thrilled at the shop’s location too, calling Fletching a ‘lovely little find’.

“The villagers have been incredibly supportive,” she said, adding that word-of-mouth has been her ‘best form of marketing’.

She said: “Word gets out that I’ve got a children’s play space and the parents can come here for a coffee and have their child entertained. I’ve got three kids myself. They’re all young, they’re six, four and two, so I know what it’s like to go out for a coffee and not have anywhere for them to go.”

She added: “As more and more parents hear about it they’re coming from further afield.”

“We were a bit worried to begin with about footfall,” said Cara. “But actually it’s been fine. There’s quite a lot of through-traffic. I think it’s the link from Lewes to Crawley, so there’s quite of cyclists use it because it’s the cyclist route. You can do a loop from Brighton and we’re on that loop.”

Cara said the shop used to be a deli but had been shut for a year before she took it over so she had been trying to get back on cyclists’ radar.

Cara said she grew up in Southwater and lived in London for eight years before returning to Sussex. She said she has been a ‘stay-at-home mum’ for the past six years but also worked part time in pubs in the evenings. Cara added that it has been a challenge trying to juggle being a mother and business owner, saying: “You’ve also got to learn a lot on your feet.”

She added: “My milkshakes are particularly popular with the children. I’m going to be running a design your own milkshake competition and then the winner will get their own milkshake made and put on the menu.”

Visit www.bayandbellflower.co.uk or keep up-to-date with Bay & Bellflower on Facebook.