Berrynarbor Community Shop & Post Office

Winner of the coveted award for best village shop and post office in the South West of England, Berrynarbor is one of over 348 community-owned rural shops in the UK. The creation of Berrynarbor Community Shop was inspired in 2004, when our local shop and post office closed. Determined residents took action and formed a co-operative to save the shop, one of the key facilities of the village. Backed

by the Plunkett Foundation, Berrynarbor Community Shop and Post Office has gone from strength to strength. After four years of dedicated and determined fundraising and planning, and with financial support and advice from the Village CORE program, the shop moved into purpose-built premises in 2008. It continues to be staffed by nearly 30 volunteers, who, along with the shop’s managers, form the enthusiastic team behind this thriving rural social enterprise. The shop stocks a wide range of local produce, from freshly-baked bread and pies, to cider, ice cream and locally-reared meat; one third of the food sold in the shop is local. This reflects the shop’s determination to be an asset not just to the village but to producers, suppliers and the local economy as a whole. The success of Berrynarbor Community Shop and Post Office over the past twelve years demonstrates what can be achieved by rural communities given the right support.