Shroom Room cafe asks for donations to support staff after devastating fire

Wednesday, 24 June 2026

A Lyttelton cafe badly damaged by fire is asking local people to donate the cost of a cup of coffee to support staff who have been left without work.

A blaze tore through the long-running London St cafe on Sunday night, leaving it unusable and likely to be closed for some time.

The Shroom Room has asked for support via a Givealittle page, which by 8.30am on Wednesday had raised more than $2220.

It said the fire had destroyed the family-run café and left staff suddenly unemployed during an extended closure, and suggested the business was not insured.

“A devastating fire has destroyed our family cafe,” it says. “In a matter of hours, years of dedication, memories, and dreams were reduced to ashes.”

The cafe will be closed “for some time” while the owners recover from the damage, and staff have been left without work.

It also says there is “no insurance payout available for this loss.”

All money raised will go to staff to help support them and cover lost wages.

“Every contribution towards our tip jar right now helps keep the spirit of our much loved community cafe alive,” it says.

Fire and Emergency NZ shift manager Blair Walklin said on Wednesday the cafe had suffered “significant damage”, and firefighters who attended said it was engulfed in flames.

He said the investigation into the cause had been completed by midday Monday and “the property had been handed back to the owner”.

The cause is yet to be determined, but it is not believed to be suspicious.

Owners Koryn Hope and Richie Leech told The Press on Monday they were “shell-shocked” after learning of the fire while they were away hiking in Abel Tasman National Park.

“Our business is gone,” Leech said. The pair said they were especially concerned for their staff, who number about eight.