The owners behind The Hive general store and beverage bar have launched a crowdfunding campaign to finance an expansion into two neighbouring buildings that they hope will become the “heart of the community”.
Steven Sherratt and Gareth Wilkins have been given an opportunity to renovate the buildings that sit adjacent to their current home on Grosvenor Road.
Having started out in business in 2015 at Altrincham Market, Steven and Gareth moved to the site full-time in 2020 and stock a curated selection of gifts, homewares and eco-friendly supplies and refills. They also have a coffee trailer in their yard that sells speciality coffee, hot chocolate and sweet treats.
They’ve now launched a campaign to raise £45,000 to transform the vacant buildings – which used to be popular community shops in the 1950s – into a coffee shop and deli selling locally sourced and Italian provisions.
Gareth said: “Along with coffee, tea and cakes, we will expand into a deli range offering your locally sourced daily milk, bread and eggs.
“We’ll also source produce from further afield including pastas, sauces and other really nice Italian deli products. We will be able to expand our range massively once we get these two buildings and we hope it would be great for all occasions.”
Anyone interested in contributing to the campaign can pay for something in return like a week or year’s worth of coffee or a workshop with a local business, or they can make a simple donation.
Donors will however be able to sponsor individual items like chairs, tables or fridges, with a brass plaque with their name attached to the item once the new shop and deli is open.
Steven said that the project is not a temporary one and is “what we want to be doing for the rest of our working lives”.
“In the 1950s the buildings were a massive part of the local community and we want to bring that life back into the two buildings,” added Gareth.
“With your help we will transform the two buildings and bring a breath of life back into the neighbourhood where people can socialise and get their daily bread.”
Watch Gareth and Steven talk about their plans:
