A MOBILE community bakery has been burgled and vandalised just months after it was taken over, leading to fundraising efforts by residents and fellow businesses.
The Wolseley Street Bakery provides pastries, cakes, and coffee to businesses and residents across Reading, but was vandalised last weekend.
Following a break-in to the van, the bakery has been left with a smashed serving hatch, putting it out of action.
A quantity of cash float was also stolen from the vehicle, adding to the loss in takings that the business now faces.
The upcycled van is the work of Davy Bonte, who came to the business in June following a number of community kitchen projects through the coronavirus pandemic.
Previously having run the kitchen at The Lido as head chef, Bonte went on to create his own business bringing French food to a number of venues and events from his home kitchen, including the Shed and Reading Biscuit Factory.
He also created a mystery box service during lockdown in 2020, working with fellow local chefs to create patisserie delivery boxes to residents.
In June, Mr Bonte took over the coffee van situated outside Tilehurst Train Station and combined its original use with his passion, baking.
The resulting project became the Wolseley Street Bakery, which combines his baking skills and The Anonymous Coffee Co’s hot drinks offerings.
Mr Bonte said that the van was: “A big part of my business– it pays the wages and the rent and the wages and the rent of an employee.
“I spent the whole afternoon on Sunday just repairing the hatch, because I had to reopen on Monday– I couldn’t even keep it closed for three days for police to arrive to look at it.”
He says he feels it is part of wider trend, too: “I’m not giving excuses, but everyone is feeling the pinch, and if someone can’t afford bread, they’ll steal bread, or milk.
“In this case, the inside was ransacked for valuables, but all they took was cash, and I like to look on the bright side of things.
“They haven’t damaged the fridges, freezers, or coffee machines, so now, as a chef, I’m focused on Christmas.”
A fundraising page has now been set up by Charlie Bond, who said that Mr Bonte was: “one of our own.”
Mr Bonte had made repairs already and was unaware that the community was seeking to help him with the costs.
“Davy’s been an amazing support to local businesses– he keeps everybody chipper, and there have been times that he’s turned up halfway through our live streams with cake to keep us going,
“Everything he does supports the community– he was helping people grow food with talks at some of the allotments, offering flour and eggs during the panic buying in lockdown.”
Now Ms Bond is appealing for help from the community with costs of repairing and securing the van to get it back on the road.
“He started at the Lido, but branched out and took over the van, providing coffee and breakfast to commuters, and it was just getting into its groove.
“Then over the weekend it was broken into, a couple of hundred pounds of damage was done, and he feels totally violated.
“He’s just about holding together at the moment, but any downtime means a loss of takings, especially at this time of year.”
As a fellow business owner, Ms Bond said as part of her fundraising appeal that: “we cannot stand by and watch him suffer these repairs alone.
“We’ve decided to do this for him because he does so much for everybody else.”
The Just Giving page has set a target of £300 to help Mr Bonte with the cost of repairs and adding security measures to the van.
The page encourages members of the community to give what they can, “even if it’s just the price of the coffee you might have bought this morning, it will help.
“If you’d like to help but need a tasty incentive, you could buy Davy’s Christmas survival box, and even a share out to your networks would be so appreciated.”
The fundraising page for the Wolseley Street Bakery repairs can be found via: www.justgiving.com
Anybody with any information about the break in is encouraged to contact British Transport Police.
