Business Action August / September 2019

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