The Vaults is Facing Eviction
For over two decades, the Vaults & Garden Café has been a cornerstone of Oxford life — a place of warmth, sustainability, and community. But now, we face the greatest challenge in our history.
More than two years have passed since the parochial council of the University church in Oxford led by the vicar, the Revd William Lamb, gave three months' notice to quit to Vaults & Garden Café founder, Will Pouget, and operating company, Fresh Connection Ltd.
The vicar announced at the time that he wished to spend £750,000 on developing the building and run the Café himself as a "social enterprise." The church has been receiving more than £100,000 a year in rent from the Vaults which proves its success and popularity with the local community.
After three preliminary hearings, the case has now been listed to begin on 28th October in the High Court in London. The cafe's legal costs to date of defending the action have escalated to more than £100,000 and are expected to reach at least £150,000 by the time the trial is concluded.
While the Vaults & Garden Café has been a profitable venue for 20 years, the sums of money now involved have become too great for the company to manage from its own resources. That's why we need your help.
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More Than Just A Cafe
Since 2003, the Vaults & Garden has been a benchmark for affordable, healthy food made with local organic produce, with long-standing trading relationships with a large network of small suppliers, many of whom depend on us and share in our values.
We serve delicious, affordable, healthy food made with local organic ingredients sourced from a close-knit family of suppliers, including: David Blake's Market Garden, Natural Bread Co, Dark Horse Roasters, Worton Kitchen Garden, Hampton Gay Organics, Medley Manor Farm, Oxford Cheese Company …and many more.
Our café has become a cornerstone for local events, working with partners such as: Oxford Real Farming Conference, Oxford Chamber Music Festival, Resurgence & Ecologist, Oxford Literary Festival, Drinkable Rivers…and countless other cultural and sustainability leaders.
What We're Hoping For
We’re calling for a fair and peaceful resolution to our dispute - one rooted in dialogue, not eviction. After 18 months of legal proceedings and multiple court hearings, the case is now heading to the High Court in London this October.
To continue standing our ground and seek conciliation, we urgently need financial support through our appeal on CrowdJustice, the legal costs appeal platform. Your contribution will help us defend the café, seek reconciliation, and protect everything the Vaults & Garden cafe has come to represent. Every donation, starting from £10, will make a real difference.
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How You Can Help
🟢 Donate from just £10 – every pound truly makes a difference with our CrowdJustice campaign.
📢 Share our story – spread the word on social media
✍️ Sign the change.org petition – 15,500+ already have