Sussex village shop scoops major award in 'Rural Oscars'

Fittleworth Stores has been voted best village shop and post office in the south east in the Countryside Alliance Rural Oscars 2024.

Manager Toni Humphrey said: “We’re thrilled.” She said the stores had gone from ‘strength to strength’ since opening in 2018.

The shop is 100 per cent owned and operated by the community for the benefit of the community. “We depend on our dedicated staff and an army of volunteers for our operational and economic success and we’re determined to encourage and support local suppliers and creative people in every way that we can,” it says.

"Our business plan provides that profits will be re-invested in the operation with any excess funds put back into the community.”

The shop carries a wide range of local produce and general groceries including household items and over the counter medicines, as well as newspapers.

"We are keen to support local farms and businesses so we are proud to stock produce from over 30 local suppliers. We also stock a range of local pottery, art and jewellery.”

The shop’s Post Office counter provides a range of services including banking facilities and holiday currency.

The shop’s café offers breakfast baps, lunches, sandwiches, snacks and hot and cold drinks. It has indoor and outdoor seating and picnic benches.

It offers homemade sausage rolls, cakes and traybakes and a range of buns and doughnuts from Jengers Craft Bakery.

All the store’s coffee is made using a special Fittleworth Stores Blend of coffee from Edge Tea & Coffee at Ford near Arundel.

Fittleworth Stores is next to the village children’s playground with wooden play equipment and the outdoor cafe seating overlooks the recreation ground where there is a special section of youth equipment and outdoor table tennis facilities.

The Countryside Alliance Awards – now in their 17th year – recognise rural businesses across five categories, including ‘best local food’, ‘best butcher’, ‘best pub’, ‘best rural enterprise’, as well as ‘best village shop/post office’.

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A spokesperson said: “These businesses go the extra mile within their communities, supporting the local economy and championing local goods and services.”

Fittleworth Stores will now go on to represent the south east in the national champions at the House of Lords in June.