Foxton cafe owners ousted by C&RT

[Alan de Enfield]

From NBW

CaRT to oust Foxton Flight café owner after 15 years

 PUBLISHED: MONDAY, 29 MARCH 2021

THE Canal & River Trust have the intention of taking over the café at Foxton Locks 'to do something different'.

Even though its present owner Gary Hives has run the popular business successfully for 15 years along with his wife Jenny.

Caused uproar

This has caused uproar with already over 1,750 people having signed a petition backing Gary and Jenny to fight to save his beloved café, including support from MP Neil O'Brien.

They are pledging their support to Gary Hives, 64, as he wages a battle to hang on to the waterside Top Lock Coffee Stop at the top of Foxton flight on the Leicester Section of the Grand Union Canal.

Not only have the hard-working pair run the popular business for 15 years but had hoped to pass the business on to their daughter Kelly Foster and her daughter Hayley, who have often helped when busy.

Refusing to renew lease

But the trust that owns the building, are refusing to renew his lease in October—it plans to take over their success and run the well established business.

Devastated Gary, told the Harborough Mail:

“I can’t believe that the Trust are doing this to us. We have built up and forged our fantastic business here week in week out over the last 15 years—and it’s become a great success.

“The old British Waterways ran the café here for 18 months before us and lost a lot of money, they couldn’t make it work.

Very hard to take

But CaRT want to take it back as the pair have made it so successful after all this time, so it is easy to see how very hard to take for them after successfully renewed four leases—ranging from 18 months to five years, with Gary adding:

“But after an extremely hard year, the last thing we expected was to have our bid to renew our lease in October rejected.

“We have ploughed so much blood, sweat and tears into running the Top Lock Coffee Stop since the first day we all moved in.

“We have all put so much love and sheer hard toil into it. This café is right at the centre of our lives— it runs in our blood.

"We had the letter from the trust telling us we’d have to get out.  “It’s come as a massive shock, a real bombshell.”

 About the fast-growing petition backing their struggle, Gary told he was very humbled and honoured that so many people are getting behind us, so he will fight on.

Something different at the site

A spokesman from Canal & River Trust told it had recently written to the operator of the Top Lock café at Foxton Locks, Mr Gary Hives, informing him of our future plans for the site, adding:

"Instead, we intend to invest in the café and offer something different at the site, improving the facilities and opportunity to engage more visitors regarding the importance of their local canal and how to play an active role in looking after it.”

“Whilst this isn’t the outcome that he had been hoping for, we are grateful for all that he has done at Foxton and have tried to give him as much notice as possible about the decision.

“I should also add that the lease is with Gary, not his family, and has never contained any option to pass the lease down the family line. “We’re really grateful for what he’s done at Foxton but we’re now looking to do something different with the café.”

Many boaters have called at the café and would possibly like to support Gary and sign the petition set up to save his café here: Petition

•  

[Tuscan]

It’s a real shame, he’s always been a friendly face at the top of the flightfor many years. Can’t see CRT manhandling supplies along the towpath from the car park as Gary does now so assume the cafe will close. I assume this will become a welcome station for the chuggers to ply their trade. Seems strange they are doing this whilst at Braunston another popular visitor site they have closed the stop house and let the volunteers go.

[Timx]

Wasn’t this the same as what happened to the foxton pub, .? once it was successful CRT took back the lease, and why the then leasee made that little bar opposite.

[Laurie Booth]

How much was the rent?

 

[Proper Charlie]

Hmm. That’s a very one-eyed bit of reporting.

[Alan de Enfield]

4 minutes ago, Proper Charlie said:

Hmm. That’s a very one-eyed bit of reporting.

 

It is all we have, so if you have 'another eye' what is the alternative story ?

[Hudds Lad]

6 minutes ago, Proper Charlie said:

Hmm. That’s a very one-eyed bit of reporting.

 

NBW tend to have their own slant on things whilst “telling it like it is”

[Bod]

Signed.

Bod, & mrs Bod.

[Proper Charlie]

35 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

It is all we have, so if you have 'another eye' what is the alternative story ?

Well, it’s a very biased report that goes well beyond fact and into opinion. It assumes that Gary is in the right and is a good thing, while CaRT are in the wrong and are a bad thing. I do know the cafe and pass it frequently. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility that it could be turned into a better and friendlier operation. Whether CaRT are the people to do so is another matter of course.

[matty40s]

54 minutes ago, Proper Charlie said:

Hmm. That’s a very one-eyed bit of reporting.

Why is it one eyed, CRT were asked for their opinion and gave it, which fully backs up the story.

I see a horrible interactive visitor and volunteer centre selling expensive vegan snacks and crap mr whippy ice cream.  

[CV32]

Puncture repair kits / high energy drinks for cyclists / maps of the cycleways (formerly tow paths) ...... and vegan rubbish / Mr Whippy ice cream ?

[mrsmelly]

2 minutes ago, matty40s said:

Why is it one eyed, CRT were asked for their opinion and gave it, which fully backs up the story.

I see a horrible interactive visitor and volunteer centre selling expensive vegan snacks and crap mr whippy ice cream.  

Scrumptious!! whats wrong with a slice of marinated Quorn wrapped in a wet lettuce leaf?

[Guest]

This appears to be an(other) example of a big organisation trampling over the 'small guy' in the name of corporate greed.

 

Didnt they do exactly this to a similar business on the Leeds and Liverpool a few years back?

[CV32]

Just now, mrsmelly said:

Scrumptious!! whats wrong with a slice of marinated Quorn wrapped in a wet lettuce leaf?

 

I would rather a nice bit of smoked bacon in some fresh crusty bread with a bit of tomato ketchup or brown sauce

Just now, The Happy Nomad said:

This appears to be an(other) example of a big organisation trampling over the 'small guy' in the name of corporate greed.

 

Didnt they do exactly this to a similar business on the Leeds and Liverpool a few years back?

 

Gotta keep those tow pat.... cycle paths maintained !

 

[mrsmelly]

1 minute ago, CV32 said:

 

I would rather a nice bit of smoked bacon in some fresh crusty bread with a bit of tomato ketchup or brown sauce

Good gracious you are so last year!! Think of the planet, its a fact that unless we all start eating vegan muck the planet cannot survive 

[Guest]

18 minutes ago, Proper Charlie said:

Well, it’s a very biased report that goes well beyond fact and into opinion. It assumes that Gary is in the right and is a good thing, while CaRT are in the wrong and are a bad thing. I do know the cafe and pass it frequently. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility that it could be turned into a better and friendlier operation. Whether CaRT are the people to do so is another matter of course.

 

I would agree normally but CRT have been quoted and they haven't denied that fundamentally the story is accurate.

[Thomas C King]

14 minutes ago, matty40s said:

I see a horrible interactive visitor and volunteer centre selling expensive vegan snacks and crap mr whippy ice cream.  

 

Eh, my experience as a vegan is that visitor centers rarely have any vegan food. It's normally independent cafes that have a better selection (or at least something). No need to bring vegans into this

 

Shame about the cafe. I'm sure it'll make CaRT some money, but I'd rather it keep to what I pay my license fee for.

[Proper Charlie]

15 minutes ago, The Happy Nomad said:

 

I would agree normally but CRT have been quoted and they haven't denied that fundamentally the story is accurate.

Sure, but this bit of 'reporting' is opinion designed to lead not inform: "But CaRT want to take it back as the pair have made it so successful after all this time, so it is easy to see how very hard to take for them..." My gripe is not with Gary but with the unprofessional, school essay style of writing.

[Mike Todd]

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

It is all we have, so if you have 'another eye' what is the alternative story ?

I have no information about this actual story itself BUT . . . 

 

It is in the interests of all canal users that CaRT make the best return on its assets, consistent with meeting the stated aims of the trust. In part that is about maximising the financial return but also about making the best use, for all users, in the broader non-financial sense.

 

Until we know more about the intentions for the site, and can judge their credibility, the story remains one-sided. And that is not a judgement on the current lessees operation. Given the number of visitors whenever we go through, it ought to be a goldmine!

[Mike Tee]

12 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

Given the number of visitors whenever we go through, it ought to be a goldmine!

Which is probably the only reason C&RT want to get their hands on the business - they want the goldmine. With them running it, I can see it becoming more of a landfill.

[Alan de Enfield]

20 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

I have no information about this actual story itself BUT . . . 

 

It is in the interests of all canal users that CaRT make the best return on its assets, consistent with meeting the stated aims of the trust. In part that is about maximising the financial return but also about making the best use, for all users, in the broader non-financial sense.

 

Until we know more about the intentions for the site, and can judge their credibility, the story remains one-sided. And that is not a judgement on the current lessees operation. Given the number of visitors whenever we go through, it ought to be a goldmine!

 

They have a history of failed enterprises in the 'customer service' area,

think Pubs & Restaurants (they sold up and lost £ millions), think Shopping centres (they sold up and lost £millions)

They cannot even organise answering the telephone so they sub-contract it out to an answering service.

 

You are often better at caring for, and growing the business that you know, rather than getting into businesess that are outside your area of expertise.

 

In Marketing terms, Diversification is the most risky and potentially costly strategy - there are far better strategies that C&RT could use to improve their business model and profitability.

 

 

[Richard Carter]

7 hours ago, Timx said:

Wasn’t this the same as what happened to the foxton pub, .? once it was successful CRT took back the lease, and why the then leasee made that little bar opposite.

As it was told to me when I worked for FBS in the 80s, in 1963 Tony and Mary Matts obtained a 40 year lease from BWB (as was) on the bottom lock premises comprising the old canal co. offices and workshops on the right as you look down the flight. Over the years they built up shop, café (alongside hire fleet, etc.) and eventually, I think in 1980/81, the "Bridge 61" pub in a new extension to the building. When the lease came up in 2003 BW declined to renew and then had to run it themselves, as leasing it further would have required them to offer the existing tenants first option. The Matts owned the lock cottage and the old stables next door by this time, so were able to continue a smaller scale operation based there.

 

It does sound a similar tale.

[LadyG]

6 hours ago, Thomas C King said:

 

Eh, my experience as a vegan is that visitor centers rarely have any vegan food. It's normally independent cafes that have a better selection (or at least something). No need to bring vegans into this

 

Shame about the cafe. I'm sure it'll make CaRT some money, but I'd rather it keep to what I pay my license fee for.

They  did not take over the Museum and Cafe at Goole when it had to close, a small oasis of interest, industrial heritage, nature trail, all sands blown in the winds, boats an' all.

Edited March 30, 2021 by LadyG

[haggis]

I read on FB a wee while ago (and now can't find it) that C&RT are suggesting extending the lease while they all work out how best to use the space. Anyone else seen the C&RT statement?

 

haggis

 

Edited March 30, 2021 by haggis

[David Mack]

8 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

after successfully renewed four leases—ranging from 18 months to five years,

 

27 minutes ago, Richard Carter said:

in 1963 Tony and Mary Matts obtained a 40 year lease from BWB (as was) on the bottom lock premises... When the lease came up in 2003 BW declined to renew 

 

And that's the risk any business runs when taking on leasehold premises. There is no guarantee whatsoever that the lease will be renewed when the term is up.