| 2008 Wessex regional winners |
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Local Food – Allington Farm Shop, Allington, Chippenham, Wiltshire http://www.allingtonfarmshop.co.uk/ and 01249 658 112 Regional Director and Head Wessex Judge Delly Everard says: “The majority of the produce comes from Allington Bar Farm, which has been farmed by three generations of the Reynolds family as tenant farmers. The family considered closing the shop during the Foot and Mouth crisis, but business began to grow rapidly with increased public demand for locally produced food. After a long battle with the Local Planning Authority, they have recently built an extension and opened a café. All new staff are trained in product knowledge and a staff discount scheme encourages staff to try products. All products are labelled with shelf mileage signs and a regular newsletter keeps locals informed as to what is in season and on offer at the Farm Shop.”
Post Office/Village Shop - Robin Hill Stores and Post Office, Marnhull, Dorset, 01258 820266 Delly says; “A truly great village shop and post office. When I visited, the shop was packed full of local people of all ages, all there for a wide range of reasons; picking up local produce rather than travelling to the supermarket, catching up on gossip, asking advice from the shop owners on electricity charges – Robin Hill is so much more than a village post office and shop, it’s an advice bureau, a meeting place and the heart of the community. It sources local cheeses, meats, cakes, breads, milk, fish, butter and wine. When they held a party to celebrate the fact that the Post Office was not going to be closed, the shop was full to bursting with local well-wishers. Robin Hill is a fantastic example of why village shops and Post Offices can offer so much more than milk and stamps – they offer a social service far beyond the financial.”
Highly Commended - Village Shop / Post Office– Alderton, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire. 01242 620201 Delly says: “Caroline Hammill deserves a special mention for her important work in the local community of Alderton. During the devastating floods of 2007, the shop was the hub of vital information regarding water supplies and provided much needed supplies for people who were not able to leave the village. When water supplies were cut off in the area, Caroline and her staff delivered water to houses in the area. The shop supports the local school, village hall, church and other charitable groups by donating raffle prizes, advertising, taking part and even supplying bacon sandwiches for the village charity football match and any other events in the village.”
Daily Telegraph Traditional Business – Jesse Smith Butchers, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, http://www.jessesmithbutchers.co.uk/c_shop.htm 01666 502730 Delly says: “This local butcher has an incredibly friendly family atmosphere, and go the extra mile for their customers, delivering to anyone who cannot travel to the shop themselves. Jesse Smith Butchers has a good old-fashioned attitude to customer service and traditional butchery skills, but it is their passion for locally sourced meat, poultry and game that is at the core of their business – very often a customer can meet the farmer of the product they are buying in the shop. These butchers are now in their bicentennial year, proof alone that despite the ease of supermarket shopping, their traditional business has stood the test of time, and is very much appreciated by the local community. They have raised £9,000 over the last few years for a wide variety of local organisations and provide the meat for the annual Countryside Alliance Gloucestershire Ribeye Clay Shoot.”
Best Rural Enterprise - European Inn, Piddletrenthide, Dorset, http://www.european-inn.co.uk/ , 01300 348308 Delly says: “Mark and Emily Hammick are two of the most inspiring people I have ever met. Their enthusiasm for the business is endless. Before they bought The European Inn, turnover was £500 a week, and the pub had not been updated in thirty years. In January 2007, the Hammicks gave up their careers and embarked on a major refurbishment programme. In total, they now employ 36 local people and all meat is sourced from Dorset and butchered on site. The pub has been decorated and furnished in such a welcoming way that you feel you are walking into someone’s house. The ethos at The European Inn is to provide good pub grub using as many ingredients sourced as locally and as seasonally as possible in a relaxing atmosphere. Having seen the improvement that was the European Inn, local people asked Mark and Emily to buy another pub and to “do a European to it”. Their success is reflected by the local support they receive, and Mark and Emily do an incredible amount within their community. The pub hosts a non-profit making lunch for OAPs, Christmas lunch for 120 children, meets for the South Dorset and the Purbeck and Bovington Beagles, a village fete, charity poultry auctions, a beer festival and a farmers’ market is now in the pipeline. Every village should have a European Inn!”
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