Popular Kington cafe to carry on as a loved social hub with a few new additions, new owners say

The Border Bean was born out of a friendship over 12 years ago by friends Kathy Thompson and Beccy Haydon and it has become a cherished part of Kington High Street. 

From the ashes of a dormant hardware shop, they had a vision to create a welcoming social space for all as the vibrant heart of the community. 

As well as being a social hub, they have offered homemade tasty cakes, scones and light lunches, locally roasted gourmet quality coffee and a selection of other refreshments.

Beccy and Kathy said: “People are the most significant part of the Border Bean ethos, staff, customers both local and visitors, fellow traders and suppliers and they have made many firm friends along the way in the centre of the market town community!”

At the start of the new year the friends hung up their aprons and handed over ownership of the business to Rachael and Ahnya Lloyd, a mother and daughter partnership from a local family with the experience and energy to take the Border Bean into its next chapter.

Beccy and Kathy said: “Rachael and Ahnya have a similar people-focussed approach and have exciting and fresh ideas to share. We wish them every success and look forward to seeing Border Bean grow with them and know they will be welcomed and supported by the wonderful Kington community!”

Now that Kathy and Beccy have hung up their aprons still as friends, they look forward to new-found time spent with family, outdoors, pursuing creative activities, travel and much more!

Living at a small holding near Lyonshall and married to Andrew Lloyd, Rachael is a farmer’s daughter and wife and a mum of four. Trained in childcare, she worked as a nanny and at Pembridge Pre-school before working at the Cattleshed at Penrhos for eight years, eventually taking over as manager

Ahnya went to Lady Hawkins School in Kington and then Hereford College to do A levels. Originally, planning to go to university to study forsenics, Ahnya took a gap year. She also worked at the Cattleshed, Ahnya has now decided to go into business with her mum.

“It’s our first business, although I have helped my husband Andrew run his business," said Rachael.

“We are starting off slowly and its lovely seeing lots of faces we knew from the Cattle Shed and lots of new people.

“We are bringing some new dishes onto the menu, some more breakfast options such as smoked salmon and avocado, scrambled eggs and quiche but we are still doing wonderful homemade cakes.

“But it will always be the Border Bean - we want to keep it as the social hub that it is and that people have come to know and love.

“We have kept all of the same staff which is fantastic as they know the job and there are about 12 of us doing different shifts.

“We are still going to be a community player and we may open in the evenings in the future if we can get planning permission to upgrade the kitchen.”

Rachael and Ahnya will be using the same local suppliers and they will be keeping the gourmet coffee from James’ Gourmet Coffee although they are also having a Border Bean branded coffee made which customers will be able to buy from them.

“We are just looking forward to serving the people of Kington and the surrounding area. I had an operation in November for cancer, it’s all good now and I lost my mum and so taking on the Border Bean has been a focal point for us all, it’s a been a real positive,” said Rachael.

They plan to have a designated area for local artists to showcase their work and it will change on a regular basis, giving customers something new to see. 

The décor will also be changed slowly over time and the mother and daughter are planning on having a wall mural showing where they get their produce from.

“We are just going to put our own stamp on it. We now also allow dogs with restrictions,” said Rachael.

“We have had great support from family, friends and the community in our first couple of weeks and we want to thank them all so much.”