Half a Million Down, One Week to Go

A financial check-in at the £500k mark

"Buy cheap, buy twice."

My friend Toni said this to me while I was dithering over a wine cooler. And he's right.

Yes, it's painful right now. But I'm leaning into the idea that if I get this right now, I won't be fixing broken things six months down the line. I've stopped second-guessing every spend and started thinking in terms of longevity. This place has to last.

We've just tipped over the half-a-million-pound mark. Writing that makes my stomach flip.

At the start of this project, I was in the thick of every cost; tracking each invoice, weighing up every purchase, toggling between tabs, spreadsheets, and sleepless nights. Over the past few weeks, that control has slipped. Everything is moving fast now. Decisions get made in the blur of exhaustion and momentum. I feel weirdly floaty, not fully conscious, but still moving forward.

I told someone I felt completely decimated and they replied, "Well, that's probably exactly how you're supposed to feel." Somehow, that helped.

Anna from Quince got shingles right before opening. She barely remembers how she made it through. I visited her last week, it's only been a year but the place has come along leaps and bounds. Her bread, her bakes, they're all really thoughtful and delicious. It was nice to reflect on how time passes, how the chaos becomes something real.

So, as we inch closer to opening, I wanted to share a financial check-in. The real numbers. What was worth it. What maybe wasn't. Some decisions were smart. Some were necessary. Some were made in a haze of stress and "oh just get it done."

This week we soft launch.

We're a week out of fully opening. The team's been working around the clock. I'm half dreading it. We're still sanding down edges, peeling protective foils off kitchenware, fixing sticky floor tiles, adding silicone to awkward corners. All the weird little jobs that somehow take longer than building the thing in the first place.

But we're getting there. And next time you're sitting in a restaurant and wondering why your pasta costs £18, I hope this gives you a bit of context.

Although our pasta definitely won't be £18.

A quick note that our reservation link will be live tomorrow and in all newsletter subscribers inboxes at 8am, we open on the 11th and can’t wait to welcome you through the doors.