South Londoners ‘heartbroken’ after treasured not-for-profit cafe closes for good – South London News

Residents have been left ‘heartbroken’ after a cherished cafe became a full-fledged coffee shop social enterprise announced its permanent closure last week.

Breaking the news on its website and social media, Cafe Van Gogh, in Brixton Road, Oval, cited rising costs due to Brexit and the pandemic, high energy prices and the effects of home work on the lunchtime economy as contributing factors.

A spokeswoman said: “Simply put, sales have fallen significantly for several months, while our costs have only increased.”

Known for serving vegan fare from breakfast to dinner, sweets and two-for-one margaritas on Thursday nights, Cafe Van Gogh has been at the center of its community for nine years.

Following the announcement, the cafe’s Instagram page was flooded with regulars commenting on their grief and sharing fond memories of the south London gem.

One user posted: “I don’t think I can put into words how much I enjoyed coming into the cafe on a regular basis.

“My fiance and I were able to celebrate in the cafe the day we read our wedding rings.

“The team kindly poured us each a full glass of fizz and it’s a lovely memory.”

Another wrote: “I am heartbroken. I enjoyed coming here with my family, especially my mother who works with disabled children.

“Cafe Van Gogh will not be forgotten and will remain an inspiration, every business can learn from you.”

The cafe was seeking charitable status at the time of its closure, but due to financial circumstances, a spokeswoman said the business could not afford to continue trading while the application was pending.

For almost a decade, Cafe Van Gogh has worked with 60 adults and young people learning difficulties to train them in the skills needed for a job in hospitality.

In 2020, just seven per cent of adults in south London with a learning disability were in employment, according to Mencap.

The cafe business has given adults and young people with learning disabilities independence through its training program and guidance from job coaches.

Since opening, the cafe has given out more than 2,000 free hot drinks to key workers such as ambulance drivers, road sweepers and delivery workers through customer donations from its pay-it-forward programme.

The cafe also claims it has never sent food waste to landfill, sold an item wrapped in single-use plastic, or sold products from multinational companies including Coca Cola and Nestle.

In her closing statement, a spokeswoman for Cafe Van Gogh said: “We’ve seen friendships and partnerships begin at our tables, at least five couples we know had their first date with us and return on their anniversaries to celebrations in the space they first met.”

The cafe also offered a thank you to customers and urged the public to continue to support its staff.

It read: “Every sale we’ve ever made has been an act of support from you, our wonderful customers. We hope you enjoyed our service even half as much as we enjoyed serving you.

“We have a bank of talented staff now on the job market, chefs, baristas, waiters and kitchen porters. Some of them have learning disabilities.

“If you have opportunities for these people, please contact us on our Instagram page, which we will keep open for the next two months.”

Pictured above: Cafe Van Gogh in Brixton Road (Image: Google Street View)

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