The owner of Stansted coffee shop Bear and Eden revealed she had been “left with nothing” after the business failed to sell and her landlord revealed his intention to turn the property into housing.
Gemma Denman, who until last week had been trying to sell the lease on grade II listed Brewery Barn, as it is known, said she had been left with no option but to hand back the keys to the landlord after he announced his plan to develop the site.
As yet no formal planning application has been submitted to Uttlesford District Council by owner Paul Sharpe and the Indie has been unable to reach him for a comment.
Single mum-of-three Gemma said that the failure to sell the coffee shop as a going concern had been “soul-destroying” and she had lost everything.
Bear and Eden closed in November after trade slumped.
Gemma said that her attempts to make it a more attractive proposition to potential buyers by extending the licensing hours for serving alcohol into the evening had met with opposition from neighbours.
And just when she succeeded in getting a licence extension approved in January and found a new tenant to take on the remaining three years of her lease, the building’s owner announced his decision to sell up.
“I did get the application approved, but it took two months because of the objections,” she said. “I had conditions in place to reduce noise at the back, but it was too late, the damage to the business had already been done.
“I then found someone to take it on as a venue for craft event workshops, but the landlord said he wanted to sell the building. So I was left in a situation where I have nothing to sell and had to hand back the keys last Tuesday (January 31).
“At the point where I closed the business I still had three years on the lease. The worry with that was awful as I needed to find a new tenant to take it on, but no-one was interested in buying the business.
“It’s left me massively out of pocket and it’s been soul-destroying coming away with nothing. All the assets have been seized, such as the coffee machines.”
Gemma, who lives in Takeley, announced her decision to sell up in September to dedicate more time to her family. She took over running the venue four years ago after Bear and Eden founders Jess and Brad Ellis decided to step back.
