Gypsy's Brew Crookes Sheffield: Sadness as Bolehills Park lockdown legend coffee van finally closed for good

They were a symbol of hope for many during the pandemic.

But hit by the cost of living crisis, Rhiannon and Bianca Silcock Randle have finally shut their Gypsy's Brew coffee van, once a popular site at Bolehills Park in Sheffield and at events across the city.

The couple originally went into business with the old fashioned, 51-year-old van at the park in Crookes, although they later branched out and cater at events all over Sheffield as well.

But they opened up for the last time at the weekend, outside the Just Natural greengrocers on the corner of Crookes and Stannington View Road.

Scores of their regulars turned out to buy a drink for a last time from them, and say their farewells to the van, named after the couple's pet dog.

One nearby resident, Dianne Bradshaw, said: "I'm really going to miss them. They kept me going through lockdown. I always used to use them at Bolehills, where they were a shining light."

Another who came to say farewell and pick up a last cuppa was Karen Mee. She said: "When times were difficult, they were always there, smiling and friendly, and someone to talk to. I shall miss them."

Bianca said: "We met in lockdown - we were neighbours. We fell in love, and I got made redundant due to Covid. Rhiannon's dad owned this beautiful van, which was in storage, doing nothing. We spent a lot of time on Bolehills Park with our dog Gypsy, who it's named after, and our little boy, and it was our dream to just be part of the community and be a service for our community."

They decided to finally close because times were hard.

Rhiannon said: "It's hard times. We started as a start up business after a global pandemic, then there was the cost of living crisis.

"There has also been family stuff that has made it almost impossible to carry on really. So it's really sad, we've been in tears today quite a lot.

"We've met so many beautiful people in our local community and beyond, and made incredible connections and memories that will last forever. We've had an adventure and I know more adventures are possible now."

Bianca said their mission statement had been to spread a bit of joy and magic with every brew, and they had been overwhelmed with the comments of people who had come out in the rain. She passed on their thanks to them for turning out.

"To start a business you probably need a bit more capital behind you because the current climate is so unpredictable, she added.

"We didn't have that cushion for a lot of the unpredictability that goes with it."

She said running in business with a 1973 vintage van in hilly Sheffield had come with its own challenges, in terms of dealing with steep hills.

Rhiannon, a trained nurse, plans to return to nursing. Bianca plans to teach yoga again, which she had done in the past before they set up the coffee van business.

They plan to sell the van, but not the business, and hope that one day they will be able to open a cafe under the same name in the future.