13/07/2026
Following a post shared yesterday by one of our traders, we’d just like to provide a little context for the sake of openness and transparency.
Firstly, we’re genuinely sorry that one of our traders felt disappointed with their experience at Hessle Feast. We know that attending an event involves an early start, preparation, buying stock and giving up a day to trade, so we completely understand why this was frustrating.
Hessle Feast welcomed over 60 traders yesterday, with an estimated attendance of between 25,000 and 30,000 visitors throughout the day. When applications are submitted, traders tell us their main products, but many also choose to offer complementary items alongside these. For example, cake stalls may also sell tea and coffee, just as coffee trailers often sell cakes, traybakes and sweet treats. Unfortunately, in this instance we weren’t aware until traders had arrived that there would be more coffee available in that particular area than anticipated.
As soon as the concern was raised, we offered an alternative pitch elsewhere on the event site to help spread the trade, and invited the trader to look around the site to see if another location would better suit them. That offer wasn’t taken up, and the decision was made not to trade.
Although we believed there was sufficient footfall across such a large event for everyone to have a successful day, we completely appreciate that the trader reached a different conclusion. As a gesture of goodwill, we have offered a full refund of their pitch fee.
We’re always learning and reviewing every aspect of the event, and we’ll certainly take this experience into account when planning future Hessle Feasts.
We’d like to thank every trader who joined us yesterday, as well as the thousands of visitors who supported them throughout the day. Without you all, Hessle Feast simply wouldn’t be possible.
A little Sunday rant…
This is the side of running a coffee trailer that people don’t always see.
We were booked to trade at Hessle Feast today. We got up early, bought fresh stock, loaded the trailer, packed everything up, and set off… only to arrive and find ourselves surrounded by five other vendors all selling coffee, alongside churros, cakes and other stalls also serving hot drinks.
We literally drove in… and drove straight back out.
Sometimes the best business decision is knowing when to walk away. I value my time, my business too much to spend all day fighting over the same customers.
People often see the busy events, the queues and the photos, but they don’t see the early mornings, the wasted stock, the fuel, the preparation, or the hours that go into every event before we’ve even served a single coffee.
It’s frustrating, but that’s part of running a small business.
So instead of spending the day hoping for a handful of sales, I’m choosing to spend it with my family. And honestly, that’s a much better use of my Sunday.
Here’s hoping next event is a better one! ☕️🤍
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