When lockdown was announced, Jo and Sean Arnoup feared it would be a death knell for their artisan coffee business.
The couple started Give It Some Beans from Mattishall in late 2017, selling to the public for the first time a few months later in spring 2018.
Since then they have grown steadily, and are now stocked in farm shops and other stores across the county.
But back in March, as the country geared itself up for the likelihood of lockdown, Mrs Arnoup said she feared their hard work would be undone.
“We just felt ‘that’s game over for us,” she said. “We couldn’t see what was going to happen. I stood and cried in the kitchen.”
But, prepared for the worst, they quickly realised their fears would not materialise.
MORE: ‘Customers don’t want to go back to queuing’ - how the pandemic is changing our beloved fish and chips“The website went ballistic,” she said. “Last month we had our best month ever, even better than in the run-up to Christmas.
“It was the flick of a switch. We have always had a website, and thank goodness we have, but it’s gone bananas.”
Inundated with orders, she said she recruited the help of family to manage the demand. Last month, she said, they sold 131kg of coffee, a feat she described as “absolutely massive” for the business.
Looking forward, they have started to also diversify the business, producing a range of cocktail and coffee syrups and barbecue sauces.
Give It Some Beans is one of the business listed on the Norfolk Store website, which stocks independently-made goods from producers around the county.
Its products range from preserves to candles to dog treats, while there are also Norfolk Day-themed goods to buy for the county-wide celebration on Monday, July 27.
The website is owned by this newspaper’s publisher Archant, which launched a Love Local campaign this month to encourage people to support small independent businesses.
Businesses on the Norfolk Store include north Norfolk’s Eleanora Tiatora, who sells mugs and coasters, as well as preserves by the Garden Pantry.
• To visit the website visit norfolkstore.co.uk and if you’re interested on selling via the website email alison.harris@archant.co.uk
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here