The EDP has a feature on the Shop Here Awards 2008 today.

Here's what it says about us:
# SHOP AND A HALF: BUNCHES AND MUNCHES, HETHERSETT#
A business that has successfully diversified from their core service. It might be a pub that now hosts a post office, it might be a boutique that sells flowers. It must be a business that has added a different string to its bow.

What started life as a florists for new owners - mother and son team Caroline and David Reynolds - has become a hub of the community offering a diverse array of services.They sell bottles of Calor gas, take in dry cleaning and have added a sandwich bar selling coffees and teas and also a bed and breakfast. They have also recently added outside catering for events.

Caroline said: I have lived in the village for 13 years and didn't want to lose another shop and service. It is all about customer service, if a customer is housebound then we will take a selection of stock around for them to help them choose, it is filling a gap in the village. Where one of the elements of our business on its own might struggle, together it works really well.

We like to think we are creating a little village hub.?You might think that a mother and son working together, and living together, might not work,? she laughed. But it does and actually the whole family chips in and helps us. Getting the award was just what we needed, because at that time we weren't sure if people were really noticing what we doing.?

See the rest of the article here.

We've won the EDP Shop Here Awards 2008 'Shop and a Half' Award. We want to thank everyone for their continued support!

This is what the article said:

The champions of locally sourced produce are revealed today as they EDP announces the winners of its Shop Here campaign.The initiative aims to encourage readers to explore what is on offer at their village store, farm shop, farmers' market, butchers or craft centre as an alternative to shopping at the large chains and supermarkets.This keeps money within the local economy, supporting local businesses and farms and in turn keeping communities thriving.

People were asked to nominate their favourite local outlet to highlight the best the county has to offer.EDP deputy editor Peter Waters said: “We launched the Shop Here campaign a little over a year ago as a way of giving recognition to the region's independent shops, many of whom are the lifeblood of their communities.“Almost 1,000 businesses have now signed up. The awards are an extension of that and we're thrilled that we've had such a great response.“The winners thoroughly deserve their success and are all great examples of the types of business that help maintain our distinct local identity and unique way of life.”

After a tough selection process the panel of judges selected from dozens of nominations the following winners in each category:
Warm Welcome - Sentiments, Gorleston
Shop Here Hub - Rougham Village Shop
Shop and a Half - Bunches and Munches, Hethersett
Pride in Presentation - Tudor Bakehouse, Harleston
Shop Here Hero - Big Blue Sky, Wells
Bright Idea Award - Once Upon a Time, Sheringham
Hidden Gem - Great Plumstead Stores
The Extra Mile Award - Brundall Pet and Hardware

David Reynolds from Bunches and Munches explained that the success of his business lay in diversification. He said: “When we took over the business in December 2006 it was simply a florist's which took in some dry cleaning and occasionally sold the odd bottle of Calor gas.“Within eight months we had added a sandwich bar, selling coffees and teas, and also a bed and breakfast. We also cater for events, which has been increasingly successful through word of mouth.”