Ma Larkins

One successful example, Ma Larkins Restaurant and Coffee Shop, dominates a roundabout just outside Chipping Norton after Tony and Emma Horspole took on the boarded-up property and put it back on its feet.

But in these uncertain times no business is safe, so the owners are embarking on a series of innovations to create other outlets for their wholesome homemade food.

They have just launched a lunchtime sandwich delivery for local businesses and will soon start a meals-on-wheels service.

Quality ingredients and cooking are at the heart of it all.

Mr Horspole, 42, said: "What we think people actually want to eat is good produce, so we buy all our meat and vegetables as locally as we can get them, and prepare everything from scratch.

"We took the name Ma Larkin from the Darling Buds of May TV series where there were always piles of food around, so we haven't aimed for nouvelle cuisine. We want people to come out feeling they have had a good meal.

"At the same time we want to be able to cater for all tastes, so there's a range of lighter meals as well.”

The Horspoles’ business started in 2004, when Emma Horspole was managing a café concession in the nearby Countrywide store and bought the original owner out. But the store did not see much passing trade and they had been coveting the empty Little Chef for two years.

In May 2006, they were able to buy the property and six weeks later, after major renovation, re-opened it as Ma Larkins.

"Little Chefs only had a counter where they griddled or fried food, so we had to put a proper kitchen in," said Mr Horspole.

"From what we can make out, where the kitchen is now was all freezer space and washing up facilities."

The kitchen and serving area were completely renovated and rooms at the rear turned into fresh food storage and offices. The public seating area was redecorated and re-fitted to replace the Little Chef branding with calming colours and contemporary touches.

Once the café was established, the couple turned their thoughts to ways of expanding the business. They already had a successful outside catering arm which had come about purely from customers at the restaurant asking if they could do cakes for their parties.

Before they knew it, the Horspoles were catering for weddings and other family events.

The current focus is on launching the lunchtime deliveries and the meals-on-wheels service will follow later.

"We're not going to bring a selection of sandwiches round on a van. The difference will be that ours will all be made to order when people phone or e-mail us. They'll be delivered as soon as they are made," Mr Horspole said.

When I visited, flyers were being printed and the Horspoles were planning visits to local businesses to promote the service. If it takes off, they will need to recruit more staff to ensure they can deliver on their promises.

Mr Horspole explained they were doing ‘little of lots’ — trying ideas to see if they worked before expanding them, rather than investing in large projects with a higher risk of failure.

The meals-on-wheels are a case in point. Although the service has not yet been launched, it already has one customer who receives a hot meal three times a week.

At the same time the core business, the restaurant, goes from strength-to-strength via old-style word-of-mouth marketing, enhanced by the power of the Internet.

"One Sunday, we had a few bikers drop in and one of them asked if we would mind if a few friends and colleagues came on a Sunday morning. He'd said maybe ten or 15, so we said ‘no problem whatsoever’, and I think about 50 turned up," said Mr Horspole.

"Before we knew it, we were featured in motorcycle newspapers, magazines and websites, so now we get regular visits from groups of riders. Now that has expanded to classic car clubs and the Lotus car club, and they're all really nice people," he said.

Now with regular weekday business from drivers and commercial people who drop in for breakfast or lunch, and groups of motoring enthusiasts at the weekends, business is spread throughout the whole week.

And they won't find Heston’s snail porridge or bacon and egg ice cream on the menu.