DELI OF THE MONTH

The tale of the Lodsworth Larder’s creation could be a storyline from the Archers, but, under the stewardship of an “unlikely partnership” , this eco-friendly village shop is anything but a drama. What’s more, the store’s managers have strengthened its local focus and breathed fresh life into this community enterprise.

Interview by Tom Dale

It takes a village

“IT HAS BEEN a community project right from the very start,” says Lesley Shaikh, co-manager of Lodsworth Larder, a small, communityled village store in West Sussex. “It’s always been something that has brought the village together.”

A er an agreement was struck with the landlord of the village pub to build a community shop in its car park, residents rallied to raise £150,000 to fund the traditional wooden structure, and then haul the A-frame structure into place. Two years a er a rst, tentative committee meeting, the Larder opened in 2009.

Then, at the start of the pandemic Shaikh and Melanie Moss, a pair of shop volunteers, stepped up to take over the shop at a crucial time. The former headteacher and veteran retailer took the helm shortly a er the public was placed under the rst national lockdown and was ooding to the nation’s independents in search of consistent supply chains and a safer shopping experience.

The duo has since set about putting their mark on the business; introducing a wider range and renewing the shop’s local focus, while maintaining the community-led values that launched the shop over a decade earlier.

Situated in the heart of the South Downs National Park in the small, bucolic village of Lodsworth – complete with hand-painted sign proudly displaying pastoral scenes found in the parish – the Larder’s origin story is anything but typical.

“Everything in the village is done by committee,” says Shaikh. “So naturally, that’s how the shop came to be.”

It was decided that the area needed a convenience store to help its ageing residents and as a community hub, and the group called on the help of Ben Law, a traditional builder made famous by Channel 4’s Grand Designs, and local architect Val Hinde.

Chestnut, oak, ash, and larch were sourced locally – the build’s cedar roof shingles travelled the farthest at eight miles – and no concrete or cement was used in the build. The result is small but striking, oozing rustic charm inside and out. Traditional wattle panelling bridges the balustrades of the covered display area in the front, and natural timbers – ageing beautifully – are exposed everywhere.

The shop is sta ed by around 10 regular volunteers – alongside another 10 ad-hoc helpers – ranging in age from retirees in their 70s to teenagers working towards their Duke of Edinburgh Award.

“We try and mix the younger and older volunteers on the rota,” says Shaikh. “It’s nice to create those generational bridges to get people talking and learning from each other.”

And that seems to be what Moss and Shaikh have been doing, too.

VITAL STATISTICS

Location: The Street, Lodsworth, West Sussex GU28 9BZ Turnover: £250,000 Average basket spend: £8 Retail space: 500 sq ft Average margin: 25%

The self-described “unlikely partnership” has palpable rapport – even nishing each other’s sentences at times – and the success of the changes that they have made at the Larder speaks volumes.

“It just works,” Shaikh says, speaking of the pairing. “We’re not exactly sure how, but it does.”

Together, they have grown the shop’s o er, increasing the breadth of the range, bringing in more small local suppliers and some more high-end and ‘treat’ lines while keeping the ‘everyday’ items that were popular during the pandemic.

Shaikh says that Lodsworth is “a very broad church” – despite the appearance of several customers driving luxury cars – and as such, the o er must be for everyone.

“You need to have a pesto for a couple of pounds,” says Moss, “but then we also need one that costs £5 from…” she gestures to Shaikh to pronounce ‘Seggiano’ for her.

“But you have to be able to justify it.”

Moss’s background selling high-end furniture and antiques meant she had good grounding in retail strategy, and she certainly understands the importance of a product’s story. “The local produce is great for that,” she says.

From bringing in more fresh fruit and vegetables from Sussex to searching out small artisan makers, Moss and Shaikh have curated a selection that is helping de ne the shop’s identity and create a unique o er that keeps customers coming back.

Brands like SØDT bakery and Sprinkles & Twinkles doughnuts have a local fanbase that creates repeat custom. When the impressive-looking sweet treats are restocked, Shaikh puts out a post on social media and the village descends, she says.

The Larder’s Facebook and Instagram pages have also been put to use to drive tra c to the store’s themed events – another change brought in by the pair – such as Valentine’s specials and Italian nights making use of Seggiano sauces and pasta.

Events also give the pair a chance to show o their air for merchandising, something that was lacking previously. “You need to keep the environment changing,” says Moss. “Keeping it exciting for the customers and moving things around.”

“It’s amazing what shi ing a product to a new spot can do for sales, and it all helps create a good retail experience.”

When FFD visits, the pair has put on a subtle-but-impactful Easter display of eggs, lambs and springtime greenery, and, they say, doing so always creates a talking point – good or bad.

The village is relatively small, having a population of less than 1,000, but the residents are committed to supporting the shop.

“We’re o ering much more than just a pint of milk and a loaf of bread. We’re here for a chat and support, and during the pandemic, we were the only interaction some people were getting.”

Shaikh says they sometimes play the role of shopkeepers-cum-therapists and that the pair are con ded in frequently. “People know they can talk to us about anything, they know we’ll be discreet and if we can help, we will,” says Moss. “We’re trusted.”

But the shop’s scope is broader than just the village’s residents. While Shaikh and Moss admit they do not see nearby estatebased Cowdray Farm Shop as competition – “We can never be a destination like that,” they both concede – that hasn’t stopped Lodsworth Larder from drawing in repeat custom from out of town.

“Cyclists have been a great market for us,” says Moss. “It’s got so popular in the Downs, particularly with Londoners – and they talk.”

“We’ve been added as a point of interest on cycling app Strava,” adds Shaikh. “And they love to stop in for a co ee and a cake.”

Another group making the most of the South Downs National Park – and the Larder – are walkers. Shaikh says they have become an ad-hoc tourist information centre as ramblers use the pub and shop car park as

MUST-STOCKS

Bread and pastries from SØDT Picnic & Hamper cakes, quiches & deli items Youngs the Butchers sausage rolls and pasties Authentic samosas from North London

Charlie's Trout

Weald Smokery charcuterie

Susana and Daughters Cowdray Estate Kefir Mud Foods pies Stopham Vineyard wines Langham Brewery beers and ales

Duffs Diner curries, fish cakes & fish pies Fruit & vegetables from Chef's Farms Hettie Hen gourmet scotch eggs Bella's Apple Juice Petworth Honey Crosbies cakes

their base and pop in to request a good route.

This cohort represents a second selling opportunity when they return to their cars a er lunch in The Hollist Arms and pop in looking for some rural produce to take home to the Capital. “Visitors from London love to pick up some jam or a chutney and some local cheese to take back with them either as a gi or a treat,” says Moss. “We like to capture those people stopping at the pub.”

Another growing market – partly brought on by COVID – is staycationers. The village has several Airbnb holiday rental properties, and the pair has agreements with owners to promote the Larder, some even providing welcome packs with produce from the store.

Tourists – o en taking short weekend breaks from London – are drawn in by the shop’s local range, and focus on sustainability.

The building is equipped with solar panels and has no dedicated heating, instead relying on a heat recovery system that recirculates the heat generated by the shop’s fridges and freezers to heat the space in winter.

The shop also avoids plastic wherever possible. They try to work with brands that are dropping plastic from their supply chains – including SØDT which has shi ed to compostable bio-materials – and the Larder’s branded bags are all paper, while residents drop o used plastic bags to be recused in the shop. They even tried using wicker shopping baskets in place of the usual plastic fare, but the pair abandoned them a er a few too many incidents of chasing produce across the car park a er they were le outside and deteriorated.

“Plastic will have to do for now,” says Moss. “In this case, it’s the easier option,” she laughs.

But waste is an issue that the pair want to increasingly tackle going forward. “It’s one thing that’s shocked me about food retail,” says Moss, adding that the operation is making strides in this area by donating le over food to a local foodbank, and taking steps to reduce overordering. “We need to get better, but we’re on our way,” she says.

The pair also has hopes to extend the building, turning the shop’s outdoor seating area – currently covered by a temporary gazebo – into a permanent structure, something the enterprise was unable to do before.

Before Moss and Shaikh took over, the business was operating at a loss. It is now in the black. “We are a community shop and not run for pro t,” says Shaikh, “but if we want to provide more for the community, we need to make a little.”

Expanding and improving the seating area will provide residents looking for to get out of the house somewhere nicer to sit and relax and give those cyclists somewhere better to enjoy their co ee and cake.

The pair are also wanting to swap their bean-to-cup co ee machine to a larger commercial espresso maker to further improve the o er. They are somewhat restricted by an agreement with their landlord to not encroach on the pub’s o er, sticking to snacks and cakes, but you can be sure this won’t be a challenge for the retailers.

The pair have evidently found a second calling in the challenge of running a small but impressive retail operation and serving the community. Their enthusiasm for the ethos of the shop, the lines they stock and the people they support is evident and the success of the transformation they have overseen is proof of its e ectiveness.

“We would never have guessed that this is what we’d be doing two years ago, and that the partnership would work so well,” says Shaikh, “But it just does.”

lodsworthlarder.com

We’re o ering much more than just a pint of milk and a loaf of bread