“It took a village to build a village shop!”
I went to visit the delightful Christow Community Shop last month. I discovered that sometimes it really does take a village. Scroll on to find out more!
The latest iteration of Christow Community Shop officially opened its doors in November 2024.
But it was back in January that year when a small group of residents put forward proposals to reinstate the village shop. They sent out questionnaires to residents of Christow and the surrounding Teign Valley villages and had an “overwhelming” response. I met with manager Dan to find out how this small community drummed up so much support. It’s now not just a village shop but the social hub of the area.
“It’s taken a village to build a shop”
It was a beautiful spring morning when I visited Dan and the team at Christow Community Shop. Stepping inside the purpose built shipping container was like stepping into a tardis. There was simply so many delicious and beautiful things to look at. It was brimming with local food and drink as well as an artists corner for locally made crafts. Not what you’d expect from your average village shop right?
Dan, a former manager of a local branch of Co-Op, moved to the village in 2023 and immediately loved it. He told me about how the village shop was built. “Everyone pitched in, we had carpenters, kitchen fitters. We have an array of talent here and they were happy to put in the time which was great.”
People seem very taken with the village shop and rightly treasure it for the rarity it is. Whilst I was there someone new to the village came in. She enthused about how great it was and how happy they were to have it on their doorstep. Once she had left the staff joked that I must think they had paid her to come in!
What made you choose us to be your local food supplier?
We love to find out how customers found us and what made them choose us over other local food suppliers. When I asked Dan this he told me that “we were recommended to use you. Your local and what we wanted in the village shop. If you can support local we want to.”
“Customers ask for things and where possible we like to give them a go. Like the Devon Blue which someone asked us for and we’re now stocking.”
The Devon Blue is a delicious blue cheese made by Ticklemore Cheese near Totnes. A rich, sweet cows’ milk cheese it is also paradoxically light and minerally with a buttery flavour and crumbly texture.
The bestselling products from our range in this village shop are…
“People can’t get enough of the Chinn’s sausages.” Made in Crediton we have been supplying Chinn’s sausages for years now. Their range includes traditional pork and chipolata sausages alongside flavoured varieties.
The Ann Forshaw yogurts are also a “bestseller for us. You wouldn’t expect to find their unusual flavours in a village shop.” Flavours of these traditional farmhouse yogurts include Damson & Plum, Pineapple & Passionfruit and more!
What everything comes back to is community. A sense that the village shop is working for everyone involved. Staffed by volunteers it began opening on a Sunday morning so that people could get their papers. The team listen to what people want from them and then act on it.
Dan is also committed to making the village shop as affordable for the local people as possible. “We don’t put a big mark up on our products, we want everyone to be able to shop here.” It’s not an ethos that you see much of anymore and seems wonderfully refreshing.
It was great to get out and visit another of our customers. Dan and the team provide such a great service for their local residents and this thriving village shop is a prime example of a perfectly served community.
We’re loving getting out and seeing more of our customers this year (and not just because it gets us out of the office!). If you’re an existing customer and would like us to come and visit you just get in touch!
Email: info@orchardleafoods.co.uk or give us a call on 01392 661001.
