Luxury Bath business to close after owner’s rare diagnosis

Luxury food hamper business, Taste of Bath, has announced it has closed after an owner was diagnosed with a rare cancer. Helen Rich and Jo Cox started their business, which championed local produce and produced luxury hampers which were sold in the area and across the country online, in 2015.

The business partners announced the “difficult decision” on their website and social media pages on January 10th, which confirmed they would not be reopening in January 2025. In the announcement they said managing director, Helen, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in December 2023.

After a year of chemotherapy and recovery Helen returned to the business in October, but with the future of her journey being uncertain, she has decided to prioritise her health and recovery heading into 2025.

The message read: “The New Year often brings an opportunity to reflect, set new goals, and envision the future. It is with mixed emotions that we share an important update – after celebrating our 10th successive Christmas, we have made the very difficult decision to close Taste of Bath. We will not be reopening in January 2025.

“This decision was not made lightly and comes after considerable deliberation. At the heart of Taste of Bath, our core values have always been honesty, integrity, and kindness. In staying true to these values, we wish to openly share the reasons behind this difficult decision with you—our loyal customers, community, and producers.

“In December 2023, our Managing Director, Helen Rich, was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer. Following a challenging year of chemotherapy and recovery, Helen returned to the business in October.

“During her time away, our Operations Director, Jo Cox, stepped in as interim Managing Director, ensuring that the exceptional service you’ve come to rely on continued seamlessly. In 2023, Jo and Helen became business partners, united by a shared vision to grow and develop the Taste of Bath brand.

“For anyone who has met them, you’ll know they are quite a dynamic team. However, Helen’s health journey remains uncertain, and additional chemotherapy may be needed in the future.

“Helen has now chosen to prioritise her health and recovery, taking time away from work. For Jo, this marks the start of a new chapter, vision, and challenge, as she seeks to apply her extensive skills in operations to another endeavour.”

During their 10 years of business, Taste of Bath has supported local food producers with hundreds of thousands of pounds in wholesale orders, donated over £10,000 to the Bath Food Bank and has partnered with more than 200 corporate clients and served thousands of loyal retail customers. During Helen and Jo’s closing announcement, they took time to thank their producers, business clients, online customers, community and staff.

They said: “Our gratitude runs deep for the many people who have supported us over the past decade. To our producers, you are incredible artists and passionate business people. Taste of Bath thrived because of your dedication and collaboration.

“To our business clients, your unwavering commitment allowed us to grow from a small independent company into Bath’s Business Service of the Year. It’s been a joy for our team to work alongside you.

“To our online customers, thank you for your loyalty and support over 10 years. Every improvement we made—to our website, packaging, products, and services—was with you in mind.

“To our community, from suppliers and partners to local politicians and press, Bath’s spirit of encouragement and kindness has been our foundation. To our team, your passion, dedication, and belief in the brand made this journey possible. It’s been a wild and wonderful ride, and we couldn’t have done it without you!

“As we look ahead to our next chapters, we will forever cherish the memories, partnerships, and accomplishments of the past 10 years. What a privilege it has been to serve this community and to grow alongside you all.

“Though this chapter is ending, we hope the impact of Taste of Bath will live on. Our LinkedIn profiles will remain active as a source of contact as and when necessary.”

Following the announcement on social media, many customers and producers took the time to send well wishes to the team and thank them for their hard work.

Tracy Marland said: “It has a been a pleasure to work with taste of Bath and get to know the both of you. Wishing you both the very best.” Jackie Trelease said: “I wish you all the very best in the future, Helen I will miss your posts you always made me smile and I hope you have an easy and successful journey back to full health, you both did a great job and Taste of Bath will be missed.”

This post was originally published on here