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FH Stories | Root
A new type of café has put down roots in Hythe – one that’s focused on sustainable vegetarian and vegan food.
Opened in April 2021 by Eady Timms, Root café at 53 High Street, Hythe is all about seasonal, locally sourced food, freshly made in house.
Starting up the new business was a natural step for Eady, who previously ran a successful catering company in Broadstairs, including a regular pop-up shop at a local wholefoods store. Having also run a successful stall at the Vegan Veganism Market in Folkestone, Eady got a feel for the district and its sense of community. When she decided to move to Hythe, relocating her business with her was the obvious choice.
Eady did her research, and over 300 local residents said that they’d love to have a café like Root in Hythe. “I thought that a seasonal café would fit the area well and nowhere seemed to offer only vegetarian food. Then I came across this shop in Hythe which had beautiful windows and a lovely feel to it so I thought it would be perfect.”
Support from Folkestone & Hythe District Council’s High Street Fund helped Root get up and running. The scheme supports improvement and encourages new ideas to help high streets adapt and thrive by funding individual projects.
Describing Hythe as a sunny, happy place, Eady is already feeling the positivity and support towards Root Café from the community, “I think the feeling in Hythe is very positive. My customers are mainly people who live in Hythe, so it is great to get know people who live here. I have had lots of customers supporting me with takeaways before we could fully open. Now that lockdown has eased, we have started to get more visitors who have come to Hythe for a lovely day out.”
Hythe is popular with local people and visitors who come to browse the independent shops, cafes and restaurants in its historic high street and enjoy a day at the beach or walk along the Royal Military Canal. The Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway – an historic coastal route by steam train is another popular day out for all ages.
Eady shares “I think the summer season will be great for Hythe as it is feeling safer now to go out and people are enjoying themselves and getting back to more of a normality.”
Eady finishes by saying she’s looking forward to her new life in Hythe and seeing her business grow. “It has definitely been different opening in a pandemic, but I have had so much support. The café is slightly different to what is currently on offer in Hythe, people have been really interested and supportive in something new.”
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