22/01/2020
Update
Nothing has really changed in the last 22 days. We wish we could provide you all with a more positive update, but we cannot. We face the unknown, and it looks like we will do so for quite some time. But we face it with so much love and support from our family, friends, customers, our wonderful community, even strangers.Your’e support has been nothing short of incredible. We honestly can’t believe it. We are humbled by it, lifted from it.
We miss her desperately. Don’t know why or when we decided Andàna was a her, but in our darkest moments, we miss “her”. We still see her everyday, and our hearts shatter all over again. The horror of what we see inside is far worse than anything we could ever have imagined. The outside is heartbreaking . But inside? To see inside, her heart and soul,there are no words to describe it. The shock and devastation is still there.
We are raw.
We want her back.
As a couple, and a family, we are struggling to find ourselves. The only thing we can compare it to is when you have children, and you can’t fathom what life was like, or what you did before them. We wake up each morning, and the realisation hits you somewhere in the first minute. She’s gone. There is nothing to go to, she was taken from us. What we do have is each other, and the knowledge that as a family , we are strong.
Andàna was hard. No small business is easy, and the challenges face you every day. But we loved her, our beautiful team , and our glorious customers so, so much. Andàna was our livelihood, our home, our haven, our baby. We worked so hard, 7 days a week. The work did not stop when the shop closed. We had big plans for 2020.
Our kids are struggling with the new normal. Our Andy worked in that kitchen from day one, and on more than one occasion, stepped up and showed amazing maturity. Even now, his main concern is his parents and sister. Alannah helped at the shop a little less, her studies are important, but the effect is the same.
They’ve both been amazing as they have come to terms with the fact our livelihood is gone, and with that comes a great deal of uncertainty.
Our Frenchman. Our Head Chef Sebastien is still a daily part of our lives.... just as he always has been. He has felt this just as hard as we have, was with us all day , everyday for the first few days, and has been with us almost daily, to support us as we all grieve together for what was,and what would have been....
He worked as hard as Steve and I, he saw our vision , shared our passion, and is still very much part of our family. He continues to be an amazing support, and we see him several times a week.
Thank you to all of you for your amazing generosity to our go fund me page. We have never in our lives been in a position where we have had no choice but to accept the charity being offered.
Thank you is not enough . Thank you to those that have delivered groceries, picked up the school stationary lists, bought school shoes, cooked dinner, looked after our kids, and all the other endless acts of kindness that you have all shown.
All our love,
Steve and Tina
Anastasia Stavrou Andana & Co Andana and Co is a family run café business founded by husband and wife team Steve and Tina in mid-2018 located in Balmoral, Bri
