Doubles reopens following fire and flood setbacks

A speciality coffee, pizza and rare vinyl space has officially re-opened in Melksham, bouncing back after a ‘rollercoaster’ 10 months following a devastating fire and flood.

Doubles, located at Avonside, initially opened last summer but suffered a major setback just five weeks later when a fire caused extensive damage to its equipment, décor and stock, forcing it to close its doors. 

The community then rallied in support, helping the owners raise funds to rebuild the space through a GoFundMe campaign. But just as they were preparing to re-open, the café flooded when the River Avon burst its banks during Storm Darragh in December.

“It was the worst timing,” said co-owner Al Richards, who runs the space with Matt Baila. “We had just laid a new floor down.”

Now the space has officially re-opened and invites the community to pop in, enjoy locally roasted coffee and tea, and browse the rare selection of original records spanning funk, soul, rock, house, jazz, hip-hop, and more.

“We are so happy to be open and really grateful to be here,” said Al.

With the café back up and running, Doubles is keen to support all things local, sourcing coffee from a roastery based in Swindon and teas from Somerset and Wiltshire. Al said they decided to open the space in Melksham after spotting an opportunity in the town.

“Everyone travels to other places for a space like this, and we saw there was an opportunity here. We also bought into what they are doing at the enterprise park,” explained Al. “We wanted to create a creative hub, a destination. It’s a really nice space that offers a social space for people to work, relax, and hang out.”

The team also plans to host creative events. “We’re doing poetry slams and DJ events. We also hope to host live music in the future, like jazz sessions. We’re looking to create low-key afternoon vibes rather than late-night rave vibes. Our neighbour next door is also running wreath-making sessions here too,” said Al.

Al and Matt are pooling their skills and resources to run the space; Al owned a high-end gastropub in London for 14 years, while Matt previously ran a coffee and vinyl shop in Swindon. He said, “We really want this to be a hub for people to come in and use.”

On Saturday 1st February, Doubles is hosting a launch party from 3pm to 9pm. The event will feature special guest DJs, including Sam Tweaks, That Guy from Swindon, DJ Shep, and Matt Baila.