Exeter's Real Food Store and Cafe is celebrating on hearing the news that they have reached the final stages in this year's Food and Farming Awards in the Best Local Food Retailer category. This unusual project was started by a group of enthusiastic food lovers who upheld values of sustainability, locality and seasonality. This team also had a wealth of experience in bringing about enterprises that positively impact on both members within the immediate community and non-members alike. The nomination said, “Excellent customer service with knowledgeable staff, and high quality food which...
The Guildhall Shopping Centre is hosting the first markets in Exeter to truly celebrate the innovation and creativity of local designers and entrepreneurs – a concept which mirrors the findings of the Portas Review of the High Street published by Mary Portas late last year. Exeter Innovations Market launched in the shopping centre on Friday 27th April, where it will now be held every month for 3 days on the last weekend of the month. The market will focus on quality, choice and innovation and will be a showcase for creative people to bring new and exciting products, designs and food to the...
Exeter's new designer charity boutique on Paris Street, Sprout, which raises funds for homeless charity Emmaus, will be officially launched on Wednesday 6th October by Terry Waite, the charity's President and former special envoy to the Archbishop of Canterbury who was taken captive in Lebanon in 1987 whilst negotiating the release of Western hostages. The shop was decorated by a team of former homeless people, who rolled up their sleeves for the charity that helped them to get their lives back on track.
Emmaus Exeter will use funds raised by Sprout Boutique to help combat the...
Why would you give up a well paid job and take on a full-on Farm Shop in a recession? Well it has become a family affair - and an obsession to create something special on a local basis - for Mandy Pitts, Shaun Ryder and daughter Ellena, with a little help from a staff of 20 local people. Ryders Bakery took the leap to move its HQ from Dawlish to their farm in Kenn, a purpose-built bakery, trebling its size and opening the door for expansion with access to a quicker road network for better distribution. Mandy, after 30 years in the Recruitment industry, was keen to take on a new challenge...
One of Britain's key marine clothing and footwear brands, Chatham Marine has announced the appointment of two key new members of staff and a considerable promotion. Joining Chatham is new sales director, Ian O’Connor, product and marketing assistant, Kathryn Lythgoe and Alex Peirce, former product and marketing assistant, has been promoted to regional sales manager.
The appointments follow a number of significant launches at Chatham this summer, including an exciting collaboration with leisure brand Raging Bull and the highly successful launch of Chatham’s innovative sail cloth...
Will the ways we produce and distribute our food in Devon continue into the future? This is a major question to be addressed at mid-Devon conference next month.
Food is a critical issue for Devon’s economy and environment. Farming, fishing and food production are essential components of our culture. In addition, there is traditional Devon fare, food festivals, meat, fruit and vegetable competitions and hundreds of restaurants or eating places.
Yet at the same time, food poverty is a growing reality for some local people. The growth in Food Banks in the...
This Volunteers’ Week, Blue Cross in Devon is thanking its team of dedicated volunteer pet foster carers who go the extra mile to care for homeless animals until permanent owners are found by caring for them in their own home.
From small pets like degus and chinchillas to dogs, cats and even horses. The charity is also calling on local animal lovers to find out more about becoming a volunteer foster carer and sign up.
Last year the rehoming centre on Matford Park Road in Marsh Barton, Exeter, helped nearly 1100 pets, and so far this year has helped nearly 500.
South West legal firm Amicus Law has appointed James Armstrong as its third equity partner, marking a strategic step to strengthen the firm’s commercial offering.
With immediate effect, James, who is the Head of the Commercial Property team, takes an equity stake in the business, becoming the youngest equity partner in the firm’s 20-year history. Qualifying in 2016, James joined Amicus Law in 2020 and is based at the firm’s Southernhay West office in Exeter, where he leads a team of commercial property specialists across the South West.
St Bridget Nurseries on Sidmouth Road has been acquired by British Garden Centres, which is owned and run by the Stubbs family. The site will be renamed Exeter Garden Centre.
British Garden Centres is the UK's largest family-owned garden centre group, with 80 sites across the country. The aquatics offering will remain, run by Maidenhead Aquatics, opening in July. The plant centre will continue as a core part of the business, with plans to expand the product range, including the addition of furniture. The restaurant will also stay and is expected to grow over time. British Garden...
Businesses across Devon and Cornwall are being urged to join the fight against business crime as part of a major new initiative led by UK Partners Against Crime (UKPAC) and funded by Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez.
The campaign offers 12 months of free membership to UKPAC’s industry leading crime reporting platform and dedicated Crime Hub, a secure platform where business owners can report incidents, share intelligence, and access real-time alerts to help protect their staff, customers, and communities. Members also benefit from regular updates on crime trends,...
