SHOP CAFE POST OFFICE
HISTORY OF THE SHOP
Aveni
The original village shop was situated in the heart of the village opposite the village green. There was also a butcher, hairdresser
and tea room. This village shop closed down in 2011.
(photo credit Ide Hill Society)
A temporary shop run entirely by volunteers opened on the 13th August 2011 operating from a storage container in the car park for 2 years while funds were raised and plans drawn up. At that time, it sold newspapers (which were collected each morning from a local newsagent) and a basic range of groceries & confectionary bought from a cash and carry. In winter it was FREEZING!!
Funds were raised through a combination of donations from the local community, the sale of shares and a number of grants, and the shop was built where it stands today. The official opening of the new shop was on Friday 27th September 2013. The new shop also included a post office.
Over the years the range of products has grown, and in 2019 the shop was extended to include extra seating and a stock room and we said goodbye finally to the storage container. Also, the back of counter area was reordered to provide better serving arrangements with more space. This time as well as donations, the sale of shares and grants, a significant part of the funding came from profits.
During the pandemic of 2020 the café was closed for most of the year and home deliveries began. During March to June newspapers were delivered daily to those isolating and 22 houses had grocery deliveries twice a week. After lockdown the shop has continued to deliver to elderly residents in the village weekly.
2021
The shop has continued to grow despite the cafe remaining closed due to the restrictions.
On the 13th August we celebrated our 10th birthday.
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