Business as unusual

from The Thanet Tribune - Summer special 2020

Ramsgate’s seafront needs you - the projects bringing Ramsgate’s history back to life

Writer Sean Farrell Images Courtesy of businesses

The Covid-19 shutdown could not have come at a worse time for Thanet’s businesses. Restaurants, pubs, cafés and shops were told to close less than three weeks before Easter was due to kick off the visitor season. After the initial shock, many businesses have adapted to keep serving customers old and new. And for some the crisis has prompted improvements and innovations that demonstrate Thanet enterprises’ adaptability, resilience and community spirit

George and Kate at KG Winters

Suzy Humphries at Nice Things. Courtesy of Carlos Dominguez Kate Winteringham KG Winters, Margate | kgwinters.co.uk

“We took the decision at the end of March to close our store and cafe to the public and be wholly a fruit and veg shop. We started a same-day delivery service for people who called up and we hired some great van drivers. We already had a veg box delivery service and that has gone up from about 40 deliveries a week to 200 a week. The first month or so was very intense and we had two or three phones going at the same time taking orders. We had lots of calls from people who were isolating or looking after people and also calls from outside the UK from relatives of people shielding in Thanet. It’s put us in touch with customers who wouldn’t necessarily have found us, including older people. We reopened the shop in May and we’ll keep the delivery service for as long as people need us.”

Suzy Humphries Nice Things, Ramsgate | nice-things.co.uk

“When we closed the shop and gallery I decided I had to use the time well. We were losing money and I thought the only way to increase business was to have a workable, flexible online shop. We’ve been learning as much as we can about online marketing to bring more people to the site. Half our online sales are to loyal supporters. One lovely lady who bought something online said: “I’d heard so much about your shop but I’m disabled and I couldn’t get out.” The other 40-50% of sales are to people from around the country with Scotland the furthest so far. These people aren’t necessarily looking for products from Kent so we will stock a wider range. We’ve re-opened a few days a week and for private views. We’ll always be a focal point for the local artistic community but I think the online shop will go quite a bit wider.”

Francesca Wilkins The Margate Bookshop, Margate | themargatebookshop.com

“I was lucky because I had a website before I had a physical shop and when lockdown started it took off. People say in times of crisis we turn to books and this has been a testament to that. I made it easier for people to browse the website. I’ve been getting orders from different parts of the country through word of mouth or from people who have visited Margate and do 15 or 20 free deliveries a week. People from outside Thanet are ordering gifts for people who live here. On bank holidays when the weather has been amazing I’ve been trying not to think about what that would normally mean for sales. I re-opened on 15 June for five days a week and one day for local deliveries for people who rely on them.” ►

Photograph by Oliver Kebbell

Monica Coles

Grocers have been a vital service for people isolated or caring for others. The Modern Provider (@modernprovider) in Margate is delivering bread, milk and eggs for what people can afford. The Grain Grocer, Margate (@thegraingrocer) is open and delivering while and offering free delivery to people self-isolating. Also check out J Prentis (jprentis.co.uk) in Broadstairs, Prentis Greengrocers (18 King Street) in Ramsgate and Nash Farm (@nashfarmthanet) in Margate for fruit and veg deliveries.

Restaurants and cafes have been hit particularly hard but that hasn’t stopped eateries finding new ways to serve food. In Ramsgate, Hot Meals Now Canteen (@hotmealsnowcanteen) offers contactless delivery and is supplying meals to the Salvation Army. Little Ships (@ littleshipsramsgate) is open for delivery and collection. For pizza delivery try Posillipo (@posillipo.restaurant) in Broadstairs and La Magnolia (lamagnolia.co.uk) in Ramsgate. Caffeine nuts can get their fix at Storeroom by coffee from a hatch door on selected days and delivering. Olby’s, Margate, is delivering and has been providing weekly food packages for shielding members of the African Caribbean community. Salt of the Earth, Broadstairs saltoftheearthbroadstairs.co.uk

“We are a reduced-waste grocery with a café on the side. We’ve stayed open but we took the café tables away and reduced the number of people in the shop at one time. We started home deliveries and we’re doing about 20 a week. Most of the customers we delivered to were new. Many came to us through necessity because we didn’t run out of things like toilet roll, pasta and rice but now it’s opened their eyes to products they can buy without unnecessary packaging, so that’s been great. We’ll review whether to re-open the café month by month. People can buy a takeaway coffee, fresh bread and cake and we plan to get a couple of benches outside for people who like to stop off. At the moment the retail side is more important to us because that’s

OPEN

How businesses are operating is ever-changing. In June, non-essential shops began to open, and the easing of lockdown is expected to continue into July with the opening of cafes, restaurants, pubs, hairdressers, hotels and cinemas. Here’s a rundown of just some of what was on offer when we went to press. Check with providers for updates

Quex Barn (@quexbarn) in Birchington is trading

Curve (@storeroombycurve), which is serving the best way we can serve the community.”

Openings during the crisis include Ouma’s Kitchen (@oumaskitchen) for delivery and takeaway frozen meals and Innit Dough (@innitdoughmargate) delivering fresh pasta - both in Margate. In innovative rethinks, Buoy & Oyster (@buoyandoyster) and The Ambrette (@ambretterestaurant) in Margate are sending out meal ingredients for assembly with online tutorials and New Street Bistro (@ new_street_bistro) are offering a Sunday roast takeaway. In Ramsgate, Shakey Shakey (check their Facebook page) has reopened for takeaway fish and chips and The Ramsgate Tandoori (theramsgatetandoori.co.uk) is operating free delivery. Also in Ramsgate, A La Turka (@ alaturkaramsgate) is open for delivery and takeaway with a 30% discount for NHS workers.

When it comes to fashion, Albion Stores (@albionstores) and Ruskin (@ruskin_clothing) in Margate and KIT Lifestyle (@kitlifestyle) in Broadstairs are now open and selling online. For preloved clobber visit Handsome Freaks (@handsomefreaks) and Peony Vintage (@peony_ vintage), which has founded a virtual market for vintage retailers in shutdown. Werkhaus have launched @werkhausmargatevintage on Instagram with daily posts of new stock and tips on how to be playful with personal style.

If you’re stuck in the house and bored of the same scene, liven things up with some new homeware. Specialist furniture store Simply Danish (@simply.danish) is open and trading on the web too. On top of regular opening hours, several shops are also offering by-appointmentonly shopping. For ceramics and plants visit Potters (@pottersramsgate), for vintage try Paraphernalia (@paraphernaliavintage) of Margate and Ramsgate and Stories and the Past (@stories_and_the_past) in Ramsgate.

In stressful times, health and wellness become even more important. Haeckels in Margate is offering free UK delivery on its natural skincare products and sending a free product to NHS workers. Hotpod Yoga and Margate Yoga Studio are teaching online for adults and kids and Margate Pilates Studio is also streaming classes. For some creative mindfulness Lovelys in Margate is delivering arts and crafts materials for free from its website.

On the culture front the Palace Cinema, Broadstairs, is keeping in touch with film fans, compiling home viewing ideas via its email list and social media, and selling gift vouchers to be redeemed once they are back open. In Margate the Tom Thumb Theatre is streaming live performances in its A Month of Sunday’s series.

Lucy Chudley Move Room, Ramsgate | moveroom.co.uk

“I’ve taken my pilates class schedule online so people can join from home. We’re using Zoom like the rest of the world. It’s been a huge adjustment for me. I’ve been taught to be very much hands-on and visual; I do bodies, not computers. People are joining us from their living rooms, garages and gardens. Some people are doing it several times a week and some haven’t come back because they’ve lost their job or they’re looking after children and haven’t got that window any more. It means I can teach people who aren’t in Ramsgate. People who had moved away have rejoined and the film crew that were here just before lockdown are still coming. I’ll continue to teach classes online after lockdown. I was reluctant but it’s been my connection with people and it will be another arm to my business.”

Courtesy of Isle of Thanet News

Jonny Henfry Neptunes Hall, Broadstairs | neptuneshall.co.uk

“We’ve had to keep adapting. We started off selling takeout beer but unfortunately it made more financial sense for the brewery to throw all the beer away. We’ve done pizza collections on Friday and Saturday and also Sunday roast deliveries. A good thing is it’s got us out into the community a bit more. We’ve created goodwill with people who heard about us through word of mouth or on Instagram. We’ve been taking food to some old ladies in Broadstairs and Ramsgate and that’s led to people who haven’t come to us before buying pizzas. Under the two-metre distancing rule we would only have been able to re-open the garden, but at one metre we can reopen the bar for bookings from 4 July. After this I think the way people use a pub and the way people eat out won’t be the same again.”