This month’s Client Corner focuses on the amazing Hopes of Longtown: A Family Run, Award-Winning and Local Village Stores and Post Office, and their #ShopLocal30 initiative.
Hopes of Longtown is run by Christine, Jenny and Philip Hope, and their new initiative #ShopLocal30 sums up everything Hopes of Longtown stands for. It represents their mission to put local produce at the hart of everyone’s shopping baskets, no matter where they are.
Here’s why.
Cast your mind back to 2001. If you live in the countryside, the chances are you’ll remember it for one thing only: foot and mouth disease. It was a frightening, isolating and stressful time.
For the Hopes family in Longtown it also showed them how much they missed their local shop, that had closed down a few months earlier. There was nowhere to get news, give each other support or generally come together as a community.
Christine was travelling in Australia when foot and mouth hit and she returned home at the height of the crisis. When thinking about her next steps she discovered something surprising. The costs to get a graduate job would be roughly the same as to set up a shop in Longtown.
The decision was easy. It was a decision backed by Christine’s parents. It was also a decision supported by the local community.
Hopes of Longtown was born!
But a local shop isn’t just a way to bring a local community together. It’s also a way to create a thriving local economy.
Research backs this up.
For example, it’s been shown that pound for pound spending in smaller independent ‘local food’ outlets supports three times the number of jobs than at outlets of national grocery chains.
It’s why, from the very first days, Hopes of Longtown has stocked local produce. And of course, when you’re in the heart of Herefordshire and its wonderfully fertile soils, this is a joyful experience.
#ShopLocal30 – What’s it all about?
The first thing you’ll spot when you visit is Hopes of Longtown is the map covered with numbers showing all the producers they stock who are within 30 miles of their front door.
Then, as you browse the shelves, you’ll see that the local products are all highlighted with #ShopLocal30 stickers. As the stickers suggest, the Hopes define local produce as being within 30 miles of their front door.
Christine urges you to use the #ShopLocal30 Hashtag
Christine says: ”
We tweet using the #ShopLocal30 hashtag and we’d love you to tweet using it too.
So tell the world when you buy local honey. Tell the world when you buy local eggs that are cheaper than your local supermarket as well as much yummier. Tell the world when you ask your local shop to start stocking local milk and they do. Tell the world all your local produce stories!” She has also captured the attention of the national media with #ShopLocal30 and has been featured in The Telegraph.
We wish Christine, Jenny, Philip and their wonderful team the very best success with #ShopLocal30!!
Sharon and the team
sharon@kinderpocock.co.uk
@kinderPocock
@HopesofLongtown
See our previous Client Corner on Kinetic Six here.
Would you like to feature in our Client Corner? Please get in touch with Sharon.
