Business Action August / September 2019
August / September 2019 issue of the independent North Devon-based business magazine covering news about business and enterprise in Barnstaple, Bideford, Braunton, Chulmleigh, Combe Martin, Holsworthy, Ilfracombe, Lynmouth, Lynton, South Molton, Torrington, Woolacombe and more. Full magazine available to non-subscribers mid-August. Business Action Plan and magazine subscribers receive priority access of new issues of Business Action on publication. Subscribe at http://www.business-action.co.uk/plans
August / September 2019 issue of the independent North Devon-based business magazine covering news about business and enterprise in Barnstaple, Bideford, Braunton, Chulmleigh, Combe Martin, Holsworthy, Ilfracombe, Lynmouth, Lynton, South Molton, Torrington, Woolacombe and more.
Full magazine available to non-subscribers mid-August.
Business Action Plan and magazine subscribers receive priority access of new issues of Business Action on publication. Subscribe at http://www.business-action.co.uk/plans
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Lucy and Stuart Cook of No 28 The Cookery , St James Place, Ilfracombe<br />
New café fulfils ambition<br />
No28 The Cookery in St James<br />
Place, Ilfracombe is fulfilling<br />
a long-held ambition of Lucy<br />
and Stuart Cook.<br />
Lucy had worked in retail<br />
before becoming a full-time<br />
mum, while Stuart, who<br />
trained as a chef in London<br />
from the age of 14, worked<br />
in manufacturing for 24<br />
years. This Easter, they felt<br />
it was time to launch their<br />
own business, a barista coffee<br />
shop, which serves lunch and<br />
brunch items to eat in and take<br />
away. These include baguettes,<br />
paninis, sandwiches, jacket<br />
potatoes, soup and cakes as<br />
well as vegan, gluten-free and<br />
dairy-free items. All their<br />
packaging is recyclable and<br />
aim to reduce use of plastic.<br />
Coffee is supplied by<br />
Limini, a small speciality<br />
coffee supplier in West Yorkshire,<br />
while Stuart puts his<br />
professional training into practice<br />
preparing a range of cakes<br />
including chocolate brownies<br />
and millionaire shortbread.<br />
Lucy says the response from<br />
customers, both locals and<br />
visitors from across the world,<br />
has been very positive.<br />
■■Details No 28 The Cookery<br />
at facebook.com<br />
HIGH STREET<br />
Ethically sourced fruit and veg<br />
Greengrocers appear to be<br />
making a comeback as more<br />
consumers take a greater<br />
interest in the food they buy.<br />
Jim Abbott-Bond left a<br />
corporate career seven years<br />
ago, and now he and Sue Gould<br />
run Four Seasons greengrocer<br />
in Crediton High Street.<br />
“I wanted to find a business<br />
with a more ethical side to it,”<br />
explains Jim.<br />
“There is a growing swell for<br />
locally produced and sourced<br />
food that is not catered for<br />
by the supermarkets. People<br />
want to know where their food<br />
comes from and they are fed up<br />
with tasteless food.”<br />
And with packaging also<br />
a major concern, like many<br />
independent food stores, Four<br />
Seasons has always used paper<br />
bags rather than plastic.<br />
Jim received lots of support<br />
for carrying on the business as<br />
a greengrocer and enjoys being<br />
part of Crediton’s community.<br />
Customers range from young<br />
families to several who are over<br />
100 years old and continue to<br />
shop independently.<br />
As well as fruit and veg in<br />
the shop, Four Seasons provides<br />
vegetable boxes to suit all<br />
budgets, as well as fruit baskets<br />
and trays, which make good<br />
gifts and can all be delivered.<br />
“We do bespoke flower<br />
arrangements, ranging from<br />
small bunches, baskets,<br />
bouquets, aqua-boxes and<br />
memorial funeral commissions.<br />
We also deliver flowers<br />
locally to private and commercial<br />
customers.<br />
“The most enjoyable thing is<br />
meeting customers,” adds Jim.<br />
“Everyone who walks through<br />
the door has a story.”<br />
■■Details call 01363 772035<br />
Jim Abbott-Bond of Four Seasons<br />
Hardware store provides local service<br />
When small shops disappear<br />
from towns and villages,<br />
consumers face less choice<br />
when the only option left is to<br />
drive to a nationally run superstore<br />
on an out-of-town retail<br />
park. Yet there are signs that<br />
things are changing as more<br />
independent stores open up.<br />
Holsworthy lost its hardware<br />
shop several years ago, but<br />
now Shepherd’s Hardware has<br />
opened a new store selling a<br />
wide range of household items,<br />
gardening supplies, cleaning<br />
products, tools, drill bits, bolts,<br />
plumbing and electrical spares,<br />
light bulbs, candles, locks, key<br />
cutting and a lot more.<br />
The store is owned by<br />
Pete Shepherd, who opened<br />
his SW Locksmiths shop in<br />
Holsworthy 10 years ago, to<br />
establish himself as a trustworthy,<br />
local business. Since<br />
the old hardware shop closed,<br />
Pete has been increasing his<br />
range of stock.<br />
“When people ask for<br />
something, I get it in,” says<br />
Pete. “The range grew and we<br />
extended our old shop in 2017,<br />
but it still wasn’t big enough, so<br />
our new shop on the Square is<br />
three times the size.”<br />
Pete adds that people often<br />
like to touch and hold products<br />
and see before they buy, which<br />
they can’t do on the internet.<br />
“Customers also appreciate<br />
our product knowledge. They<br />
want to come in and ask<br />
questions, which we are always<br />
happy to answer.”<br />
Pete is also keen to reduce<br />
carbon footprint and believes<br />
buying from a local store rather<br />
than online reduces the packaging<br />
required to mail goods<br />
and limits the environmental<br />
impact of so many vans on the<br />
road delivering single items.<br />
With staff helping to run<br />
Shepherd’s Hardware, Pete<br />
continues to provide his SW<br />
Locksmiths service across<br />
North Devon.<br />
He has built up trade over<br />
10 years through word of<br />
mouth and says that people in<br />
Holsworthy are very loyal to<br />
the town’s independent shops<br />
and businesses.<br />
■■Details call 01409 255533<br />
@businessactionm | <strong>August</strong> / <strong>September</strong> <strong>2019</strong> | business action 7