Saturday 29 September 2007

Good Food Shop

Sad to see the 'Good Food Shop' on Back Riggs closing today. It was perhaps the most successful business run from that shop - and was building an enthusiastic customer base.

There is a growing demand for locally sourced produce in Morpeth building on our monthly farmers' market - and though our butchers, greengrocers, delis and local farm shops do all stock and promote local produce - Phil's enthusiasm for food and knowledge of local producers was something special.

He struggled a little bit when having to choose between imported organic produce and local non-organic produce - but generally went for local produce.

I understand that Phil doesn't want to make a big fuss about the Trading Standards and Food Standards Agency inspections that made life so difficult nor about the reluctance of the landlord to fund the improvements to the building that the inspectors required - so I won't go on about them.

Though I will comment in a general sort of way that it seems to me that absentee landlords and sky-high shop rents which is inhibiting the success of local businesses far more than car parking charges.

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