A shortlist of Britain's Best Small Shops have descended on Parliament today see who has been crowned the overall best small shop in the UK.
Simon Danczuk MP, Chairman of the All Party Small Shops Group, revealing the winner, said: "I am pleased to announced that the Hunters Of Helmsley, a deli in North Yorkshire, is the Winner of the Best Small Shop Competition 2015. Hunters of Helmsley was chosen by the judges for its local sourcing of produce, organisation of events to support their high street and their use of social media to engage customers."
Hunters of Helmsley was established in 1990, and has been owned since 2008 by Chris and Christine Garnett. They both come from Yorkshire farming families, and state they are passionate about how and where food is produced.
The Judges also gave highly recommended awards to NISA Local, Toddington, a convenience store, and The Main Street Trading Company, a bookshop and deli.
The Judging Panel said: “We were impressed and delighted by both the number and calibre of the submissions from retailers for the Award. We were all humbled by their energy, impressed by their commitment and in awe of the extent to which the best are embedded in their communities. There is no doubt that independent retail is in the hands of creative, innovative, business-savvy individuals who are committed to making their local high street a better place. We congratulate all the shortlisted businesses and thank all the retailers who took the time to showcase their shops.”
The judging of the Best Small Shops Competition took place in earlier February 2015 and was based on the shop’s entrepreneurial activities, working with the community and innovation in their business. The Best Small Shops Competition is sponsored by PayPoint and Tictail
The shortlisted candidates for the Best Small Shops Competition are included below and further information is available via www.bestsmallshops.uk.
Belhaven Bikes, Dunbar, East Lothian
Booka Bookshop, Oswestry, Shropshire
Cocoa Amore, Leicester, Leicestershire
Elite meat, Harrogate, North Yorkshire
Heath Stores Horsmonden, Tonbridge, Kent
Hunters of Helmsley, Helmsley, North Yorkshire (Winner)
Ilsington Village Shop, Ilsington, Devon
Jet Wheel Tyre, Benfleet, Essex
Kirkcowan Cycles, Newton Stewart, Dumfries & Galloway
Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights, Bath, North East Somerset
Nisa Local Toddington, Toddington, Bedfordshire (Highly Recommended)
Observatory The Opticians, Beccles, Suffolk
Piccola Italia, Worthing, West Sussex
SS20, Oxford, Oxfordshire
The Bakers’ Table, Talgarth, Powys
The Book Nook, Hove, East Sussex
The Mainstreet Trading Company, St Boswells, Roxburghshire (Highly Recommended)
The Music Exchange, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
Village Greens, Charlesworth, Derbyshire
Wise Owl Toys, Worcester, Worcestershire
