Payhembury Provisions

Oops, we forgot our own birthday last month, we’ve now been open for seven years! Our main aim has been to create a useful and friendly place for everyone to shop locally but as well as that we have had a lot of fun, made friends, learnt a huge amount (still much more to learn) and have given thousands of pounds to village projects and groups. None of it would have been possible without everyone who volunteers in whatever way in the shop, or without our loyal and supportive customers. Thank you all! The Beast from the East seems a far-off memory now that we […]

This month we’d like to start by remembering Alan Jones. Alan was a loyal supporter of the shop not only as a customer but also as a regular volunteer. He was a very kind person, with many friends, and he always took time to chat to everyone who came into the shop, from the very young to the not so young, and on occasions he even treated us to a song from behind the till. We will all miss him very much. At the moment the shop is full of summery things and we’ve got the weather to match, or at least we did when this […]

The locally grown bedding plants we have for sale at the shop are selling fast now  summer’s here and we’re looking forward to seeing them all blooming in your beautiful hanging baskets and pots throughout the village. More and more purchases at our shop are paid for with a card or put onto an account so we’ve listened to your suggestions and have agreed there will be no minimum spend for a contactless card purchase. If you still need that old-fashioned thing called cash we’re happy to oblige with cash-back but in that case, you do need to spend a minimum of just £5. We’re all training ourselves […]

Everyone likes a pat on the back and we’re no exception at Payhembury Provisions so we were delighted to receive lots of compliments from visitors last month. The Plunkett Foundation (the people who advise on setting up and running community enterprises) visited Payhembury for a seminar with representatives from about 25 different shops; everyone was impressed by how well-stocked and attractive our shop is and they were especially amazed that it is run entirely by volunteers. Most community shops employ at least one paid member of staff so well done to everyone who gives their time to help keep the […]

The snowdrops are out in the hedgerows, the days are getting longer and we’re all getting impatient for spring, but in the meantime if you’re feeling in need of a burst of sunshine, come on down to the shop, where you’ll find buckets of Cornish field-grown daffodils guaranteed to lift anyone’s spirits. Buy some for yourself to brighten up a February window-sill or get a few bunches for someone close to you: a perfect Valentine’s Day gift, especially when accompanied by a nice bottle of wine and some chocolates from the shop. If you’d like to spice your relationship up […]

Payhembury Provisions has agreed to be part of the Devon Link Up ‘Safe Places’ scheme which provides vulnerable adults with a safety net of help and support when they are out in the community by themselves. Any vulnerable adult who is worried or needs help can therefore go to the shop as a ‘Safe Place’ and someone will help them. Our shop is registered with the scheme, which is based at the Beehive in Honiton, and will display a sticker on the window to show that it is part of the ‘Safe Places’ scheme. Each of these vulnerable adults carries a card […]

If you’ve been watching Blue Planet on the television I’m sure you will have taken on board David Attenborough’s message that we should all try to take better care of our oceans and cut down our use of plastic. Some of the goods delivered to our shop arrive in lots of packaging but at least we can offer you fruit and veg with no unnecessary plastic packaging and you can choose the exact amount you’d like to buy, so no waste. If you’d like to bring your own mug for the hot drinks machine, that’s fine by us. December has […]

At the beginning of November we had a fun afternoon in the shop with Kirstie Allsopp, signing copies of her new book, “Kirstie’s Real Kitchen”. Tea and cake (Kirstie’s recipes!) were enjoyed by everyone and it was lovely to see the shop buzzing with excitement and so full of customers old and new. Kirstie was amazed and delighted by how popular her book was, 71 sales in total! I’m sure there are going to be many friends and family who are going to be very happy to find a signed copy in their Christmas stockings. We have been working hard […]

  At our annual members meeting last month we were delighted to present a sum of money to each of the three village organisations who had applied for a grant. This is money which has been raised partly from the shop raffle and then topped up with some of the shop’s profits. The Parish Paper and the Flower and Bulb show will put their grants of £100 each towards their running expenses, and the Friends of Payhembury School will use their £400 to buy Smart Packs; these are bags which hang on the backs of the children’s chairs in which to […]