Suffolk pub opens village store and café
A village store, café and new community seating area has opened for local residents.
The Queen in Brandeston, Suffolk, has opened a village store, café and new community seating area to help local residents.
The pub, which is run by Caroline Aitchison, daughter Harriet and son Alexander, opened a village shop during the first Covid-19 lockdown and it proved so popular that it has become a permanent fixture.
A Community Services Fund grant from Pub is The Hub, the not-for-profit organisation that helps pubs to diversify and provide essential local services, helped make the transformation possible.
"During the first lockdown, we opened a temporary village shop and we also delivered essentials and vegetable box deliveries to local residents," says Aitchison, pictured above with Pub is The Hub regional advisor Terry Stork. “Our local store became a lifeline to villagers so we have made it a permanent service.”
The store offers a range of essentials along with a specialist range of Italian and Spanish products, while the seating area, which includes both inside and outside seating, was developed within a barn on the site.
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