Where there is a Will, there’s a way

Will Richardson and Will Purdy are becoming quite a double act in Wellsnext-the Sea. Richardson is the face at the counter in the eponymous Will’s of Wells coffee shop, while Purdy is rapidly gaining a name for himself as the reliable source of fish and shellfish after he launched his fishing business just a couple of years ago.

A visit to the coffee shop, which sits on the harbour front, quickly establishes the fact that this is very much a destination for locals as much as for the multitudes of tourists who flock to Wells during the holiday season. On a cold January morning many of the tables are taken by groups of fishermen, who are warming up after some hours at sea or preparing to go out and do battle with the icy waters. The other customers are either walkers, who are traipsing the coastal path or local residents who are enjoying a coffee mid dogwalk. The pooches are equally welcome. Richardson himself is a driven entrepreneur. He left school at 15 and honed his sailing skills in Greece for a season before returning to Norfolk, where he worked as a sailing instructor in Blakeney. To finance his sailing and cycling adventures, Richardson worked for a coffee roasters – Grey Seal Coffee.

When Grey Seal was about to give up on the lease to the coffee shop in Wells, Richardson took over the lease and opened up as his own boss.

Opening as his own boss just as the pandemic struck could have been tricky but Richardson says being able to stay open and serve takeaway coffee was actually a catalyst for developing a strong local trade, including a 70-year-old who walks from Blakeney to Wells for his cof- public transport, poor digital connectivity and a feeling that they weren’t listened to when it came to key decisions being made about key issues affecting the local community.

At the same time, a flow of talent out of rural areas can only be disadvantageous to the community. Creativity, new ideas, a different discourse, energy and a dynamic approach to life are all characteristics that young people bring to an area. As young people pack their bags and leave for the bright city lights, the place they are leav- ing is worse off for it. fee every morning.

But there is anecdotal evidence that the trend may be changing. A combination of an increased ability to work from home – realised during the pandemic; a growing awareness of the importance of green space to health and well-being; cheaper living costs and increased opportunities for growth are all attracting talent to rural areas, as well as persuading people to stay.

We spoke to three people who have chosen to make Norfolk the base from which to launch their businesses.

‘For a while, we were the only shop apart from the Co-op, who were open. For so many customers, this was their only opportunity to have a chat. As a barista, I was a cheaper option than a psychiatrist.’

For Purdy, a career in computers seemed to be on the cards. He left Norfolk and went to university to study computer science. He took up sailing while at university and soon realised that a life on the water was preferable to a life on a keyboard.

Purdy’s first job was on a cockle boat that operated out of King’s Lynn, before he joined a fishing business in Brancaster. When his boss retired, Purdy applied for a start-up loan which was aimed at young entrepreneurs. His previous boss offered to give him all the pots he needed to catch mussels and with the loan he bought his own boat, which he now runs out of Wells.

Purdy’s business is developing through the network of local fishermen and peripheral businesses. He has partnered with the locally renown Andy Frary to supply local restaurants, delis and shops and, in just a few weeks, he will be part of Will Richardson’s next enterprise – the return of the Dutch barge.

Regular visitors to Wells over the past few decades would be familiar with the Albatros. The large Dutch boat was an iconic site on Wells Harbour for many years.

The Albatros first visited Wells in the 1950s and for many years delivered goods into the harbour. Its last trip was to deliver a load of soybeans. A stint as a training boat for Greenpeace was followed by 20 years as a floating bar and restaurant.

The Albatros was retired in 2020 and that was when Will saw his opportunity. With some outside investment, he bought the boat and in the subsequent months the Albatros has been completely refurbished. From spring, she will return to

Wells harbour as a floating accommodation and fish restaurant.

For the two Wills, this is a chance to combine their businesses, with Purdy supplying the fish that would be sold on the Albatros. Richardson would also join Purdy on the boat to bring the catch in every morning.

The excitement is palpable in Purdy’s voice as he says: ’The fish will be landed directly on the boat and the customers can be eating it as fresh as it is possible to be. It is also a chance to showcase the lesser known species of fish, which is a good thing for sustainability.’

Setting up and running businesses in Wells hasn’t been plain sailing for either Richardson or Purdy. Both men talk about the cost of accommodation around the area and how it impacts potential employees moving to the area. Purdy expresses his frustration at the regulations around fishing vessels that mean the goalposts for fishermen are constantly changing.

‘Fishermen change their boats to meet new regulations, then the rules change, and it takes a lot of time to make structural changes. All that eats into funding and time that could be spent at sea.’

Richardson bemoans the fact that the harbour is more set up to cater for leisure boats rather than the fishermen. The fishermen have to unload their catches away from the harbour, which makes operations difficult.

‘There’s a trade off between cashing in on the tourists at high season and caring