Pop-up veg stall proves a hit on Starbeck High Street

A greengrocer who set up a pop-up stall in Starbeck says it has proved a hit with locals – and boosted other nearby shops too.

George Churchill has been running George’s Greens outside the Prince of Wales pub every Friday for the last month.

Enthusiasm from local residents has been huge, he said, and is giving his business a new direction.

“It’s really busy. Because we’re only there once a week, I quite like the excitement of the one day. People know if they don’t get to us then, we’re not back for a week.”

Not only do customers appreciate being able to get fruit and vegetables fresh from the market that morning, but they are also spending more time shopping nearby, he said.

Other local businesses have reportedly had busier days on Fridays than before, he said, helping to boost their fortunes too.

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The idea for the stall came from George’s supplier, Jak Lister, who told him there was a gap in the market for a fruit and veg retailer in Starbeck.

“Jak grew up around there. He said it was busy and there’s a lot of takeaways but they don’t open until later so it’s quiet during the day.

“It was down to the people in Starbeck who said I should speak to Alison who runs the pub. It’s down to her that I’m there.”

George, 26, entered the trade as a shop assistant in York when he was just 14. Just before he turned 21, the opportunity came up to buy the shop and he grabbed it with both hands – while his friends were spending their wages buying their first cars.

Since then, he has established stalls in some villages near York, but said he was nervous about travelling to Starbeck, with the cost of fuel impacting on any money he might earn and a 2am start needed to get to the market.

However, the success of the last few weeks has been beyond his expectations, with customer numbers rising week on week.

Now, George hopes the business will expand as he builds on the new model of pop-up stalls at new locations around the area.

“For us, it proves the model works, so we can push it to more pubs in different areas.

“I feel like it’s a way forward. You aren’t committed to a long-term rent on a shop – if you try somewhere and it doesn’t work, you move on.”

George’s Greens is outside the Prince of Wales pub on Starbeck High Street every Friday from 9am to 4pm.

‘Hidden gem’ Harrogate shop more than a greengrocer

With a refill station, fresh milk and planters on sale, this Harrogate shop has more on offer than the traditional corner shop greengrocer.

Julia Corbett and James Sore took over Roots and Fruits, on King Edward’s Drive, two and a half years ago and have made it thrive.

The shop front will change throughout the year with pumpkins, Christmas trees and flowers on display, but there always seems to be a steady flow of people popping in to shop and chat.

Coronavirus has of course been a struggle at times, but they adapted to take advantage of soaring demand for home deliveries.

When residents struggled to get in an order at the supermarket during the first lockdown, Julia and James say they were there to pick up the phone and drop off food.

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It’s something the customers appreciate. One even made the bold claim while I was there that it is “the best shop in Harrogate”.

The owners get their just reward for the hard work. In the early days of the pandemic, orders shot up from 50 to 550 each week, meaning they needed to expand their delivery fleet.

Julia explained how the shop front is the face of Roots and Fruits, but the real magic happens in the back, where they pack up delivery boxes:

“So this is Phil. He’s packing the boxes at the moment. In the first lockdown there was a team of seven people packing boxes and bringing in produce.

“This is where we store everything. We had to increase the storage, so it’s all out here now and there’s more in there. In fact, we were packing on the street at one point.

“We deliver to Harrogate, Knaresborough, Birstwith, Hampsthwaite, so we are all over.

“People find us online and through word of mouth. We may be tucked away but people can still find us.”

Since James and Julia took over the business they have focused on reducing the mileage for their produce and cutting the plastic it comes in.

They estimate that they’ve reduced plastic by about 75% in the shop, which they think is a big draw for their more eco-concious customers.

“We re-use everything. We contact suppliers and ask them to reduce plastic. We were the first in Harrogate to have a refill station.

“People come here because they are shopping ethically. We get lots of customers who make new year resolutions to shop with us more.”

This is part of the Stray Ferret’s ‘hidden gem’ series, highlighting small, independent businesses. They need to be tucked away but growing in popularity with an eye-catching and unique product or approach. Send us an email with your nominations.

Harrogate pub owners’ pop-up shop finds permanent home

A new fruit and veg shop has opened on Harlow Hill in Harrogate after a lockdown pop-up proved a huge hit with the community.

Mike and Donna Schofield, owners of The Shepherd’s Dog on Harlow Hill, set up a temporary greengrocery store during lockdown, but business was so good, they’ve decided to open a permanent shop.

The couple were forced to close their pub as lockdown struck, and they began doing weekly shops for their neighbours.

When they couldn’t get their hands on fresh fruit and vegetables, Mike and Donna decided to open a pop-up grocery shop behind their pub.

Wharfedale Fruiterers source all their produce locally

Since setting up their small stall nearly seven weeks ago, trade has boomed, getting “bigger and bigger” every day. The couple have now signed a five-year lease on what was a barber shop on Otley Road and turned it into Wharfedale Fruiterers.

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Mike, who has previously worked in the fruit and vegetable trade for big supermarkets, has been going to Leeds market every day for produce. He told The Stray Ferret:

“People are buying little and often. We are getting repeat services day in and day out, people get what they need for that day and they know they are getting it fresh from market.”

Inside the new shop.

The shop owners have been sourcing their other produce from local companies such as The Yorkshire Cheese Company and Brymor Ice Cream. Donna told The Stray Ferret:

“It was lovely having the pop-up shop but people wanted more. If we can give the locals that bit more then we will”

Resident David Silkstone, who was out buying his groceries when The Stray Ferret visited the shop, said:

“We’ve stopped buying most of our fruit and veg from Ocado and are buying from here instead. We used to have a butchers, a post office and a fish and chip shop, so to have a fruiterer here is fantastic.”