Warwick's ‘Potato Lady’ appeals for help from community to save her beloved business
The owner of a popular jacket potato stall in Warwick is appealing to the local community for support through a fundraising campaign she hopes will save her business from closure.
Nina Kelly, 59, affectionately known by locals as the "potato lady" and "spud woman," launched the fundraiser on GoFundMe to help raise money to keep her business, Posh Potatoes, afloat.
The funds raised would allow Nina to apply for permission to convert her prep kitchen, in the Holloway, into a permanent site for the business, which she currently operates from the heart of Warwick Marketplace.
Nina said: "To be able to convert the shop would be the answer to my prayers.
"I've now come to a position where the funds are all used up, I've invested everything back into the business to repair the van and other things, and I just need help now.
"If Warwick still wants their potato lady, could they help me, because I'm just really, really struggling."
Moving to the Holloway would enable Nina to trade from a more sheltered location instead of hauling heavy equipment to her outdoor stall – a physically demanding setup she admits has become unsustainable.
"I'm not getting any younger, I'm turning sixty this year," Nina said.
She added: "Dragging a quarter of an oven across the square is not easy.
"I have to lift very heavy equipment, and it's not getting any easier, especially with the arthritis in my hands."
The situation worsened earlier this month when Nina learned she had broken her shoulder after a fall, leaving her unable to drive or lift anything for at least three months.
Being self-employed and running the store independently, Nina's injury has only added to the financial strain she and Posh Potatoes are already under.
Nina explained: "The first part of the problem is getting me to survive the next couple of months.
"Any funds raised above that would go straight to the business, to get the planning permission and create a beautiful new shop.
"Anything above that would just be a bonus."
Nina also faced difficulty after she suffered a burn injury three years ago.
While cooking potatoes, an arthritic spasm in her wrist caused Nina to drop the pan, spilling boiling water and leaving her with painful burns.
After returning from the hospital where Nina was seen for her burns, she came back to her store in Warwick and found the community had put all of her equipment away.
"I just couldn't believe it," she said.
"I got into the square and just started crying because everything had been put away, and they hadn't got a clue how to do anything, they didn't know where everything went in the van."
"The guys in the Wetherspoons had come and cleaned everything up.
"It was incredible, and it was just one of the reasons that makes me question 'how can you leave a community like that?'"
Other factors impacting Nina's business over the years include the aftermath of Covid-19, which she said has shifted work habits, with more people working from home.
As a result, Nina has noticed a clear decline in footfall midweek, something she explained has had detrimental impacts on small independent businesses everywhere.
She said: "Since coming back from Covid, it's been just dreadful.
"People are working from home, and we've lost so much town centre trade."
Even before her recent shoulder injury, Nina had been reduced to a three-day working week, an unsustainable schedule that left her fighting to makes ends meet.
Weather has also played a key part, and Nina's business has been frequently disrupted by high winds and rain, making it physically impossible to trade from her van.
There are also the increasing costs of the day-to-day maintenance of the business.
"Even when everything's okay again, after a couple of weeks, the van breaks down and then all the money goes back into that," explained Nina.
Despite these mounting obstacles, Warwick's potato lady remains passionate about her business and the community she serves.
Nina said: "I love what I do.
"I love my community.
"I love where I am in Warwick.
"I'm not Nina Kelly, I'm the potato lady from Warwick."
Despite its name, it is not the spuds that put the posh in Posh Potatoes, but Nina's creative gourmet toppings.
Alongside traditional toppings like chilli con carne and baked beans, Nina offers unique daily specials, like her 12-hour slow-cooked leg of lamb.
She stated: "I have people waiting when I'm setting up, asking 'Nina, what's the gourmet dish today?'
"It just keeps the interest going."
Now, she's relying on that same loyal community to help keep Posh Potatos alive.
Nina said: "Every donation is a step to me surviving and continuing to do the work that I absolutely love.
"I'll be heartbroken if I cannot continue.
"Every penny that comes in means there is more chance of me getting through the next two months while the injury recovers, and getting the shop done."
To support Nina's fundraiser and help save Posh Potatoes, you can visit her GoFundMe page here.
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