One of the Vaults cafe suppliers has spoken to the Oxford Mail about his fears for the future of his own business and said “all of those who have visited the Vaults will be horrified to learn of its imminent closure.”
David Blake, who runs an organic vegetable farm near Kidlington told the newspaper that the Vaults consumed over 90% of his production and that “closure would certainly signal my demise (as a business) as well as the viability of my landlord to rear his longhorn cattle which the Vaults serves on a daily basis.”
Last month, a judge in Oxford county court referred the case to the High Court in London and commented that the cafe was “a much frequented and much loved cafe with many livelihoods dependent on it.”
Mr Blake added: “This could never happen on the continent where culture and cuisine are inextricably interwoven.” He added: “All of this makes you think why should the Vaults be closed down. Certainly not for financial reasons.”
Will Pouget was given a three-month eviction notice by the vicar, the Revd Will Lamb after a long-running dispute which began during the Pandemic. The eviction notice followed a complaint about the conduct of the vicar, including bullying, made by Will Pouget under the Church’s Clergy Discipline Measure. The complaint was dismissed by the Church on the grounds that it was a business dispute.
After last month’s hearing, the Church’s public relations consultants, Paternoster Communications, issued a statement. They said: “While we are obviously disappointed that we were not granted an (eviction) order at this point in the process, we remain confident that our ultimate goal of gaining vacant possession of the Vaults will be successful.”
The vicar has stated that the Church intends to run the cafe themselves as a “social enterprise” for the benefit of the Church and the community after spending £750,000 on refurbishment and other works to the building.
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