A New Shop at Old Bank House

Mon 8 Dec, 16:19 (last edited on Mon 8 Dec, 16:53)

Nicolette, no-one who knows you could even imagine you being abusive.  I think that Tim was right about where your message ended up .. and even if he wasn't your contributions all make sense where they are, and are helpful. So please don't worry about it.

Mon 8 Dec, 16:05

Tim . My posting was not where your comment is i.e. Re The Old Bank neither was its reply. To Rod's posting which I had not seen .it was a comment on John partington very sensible posting where he wishes the Deli well and wondered if he could have bought shares. I was chatting about my history with the deli as a share holder of many decades , it was not sbusive or unkind to any named person as it is now out of con text which has put me in the firing line.

Mon 8 Dec, 13:56

Nicolette Lethbridge your other comment is on a different thread click on the link

Mon 8 Dec, 13:42

Why have my comments on this matter.not appeared 

Sun 7 Dec, 13:58 (last edited on Sun 7 Dec, 13:59)

Just to be clear.......

As I've said before, both here and at Chloe's meeting, both personally and as a director of the Deli & Cafe, I welcome the arrival (or would do if they'd just get on with it!) of a food shop capable of handling a much wider range of stuff than either the D&C or the Co-op can.  But that brings other challenges and I don't envy Chloe the task of pricing it right, hence my quip (see trout).  Overall though it can only help to revive the town centre - and we are already seeing beneficial changes in the Corner House, making it more useful and accessible to everyone.

Fri 5 Dec, 12:22

Chalk Stream Trout 

Gusto Organic Drinks 

Macneils Smokehouse Salmon 

Sauerkrauts/Kimchi or fermented products in general

Hunter & Gather condiments (great quality using olive oil and avocado oils)

Wed 3 Dec, 23:16

New Shop

With all due respect the comparison with Burford is irrelevant. I drove through Burford 6 times a week for 15 years and it is a tourist honey pot. Particularly at the weekend but also every day the pavements were full of tourists.

Tue 2 Dec, 12:31

Afternoon all.

Just a quick note to remind you that the public meeting about the Old Bank Shop will take place tonight at the Back Room in the Bull at 7pm. We'd love to see you and hear your thoughts.

If you're unable to make it, but would still like to have some input please do drop me a message here.  Even if you're repeating, or confirming someone else's thoughts it's really good to see the kinds of things that are coming up more frequently, because it gives us an idea of what demand there is for particular things.

Thanks for your input everyone, myself and everyone else involved really appreciate it!

Chloe

Sun 30 Nov, 13:59

I'd like to see the shop stock Carley's seed and nut spreads - organic, produced in  Cornwall, palm oil free, gluten free and delicious. To include those without peanuts. 

Sun 30 Nov, 12:56

Just in response to some of the comments here, I'll repeat part of what I said on the Deli thread:

"As the only current director (applications invited!) of the Deli & Café, I personally welcome the notion of a retail only food shop with a wider range than the D & C could ever manage.  There are several reasons why it couldn’t but not least the ‘mixed use’ in a relatively small space.

 The D & C is indeed now in a transitional state, in more ways than one – and now that we’ve made the move into the Corner House, we'll be looking very shortly at the opening hours, at least between now and Christmas, as well as what we’ll be offering both in the café and on the retail side." 

To add, the next major step is to look carefully at our role and structure - on which we may well hold a public meeting early in the New Year.  We've always been 'community owned and run' - we're now looking to contibute more to the community, the question being how best to do that.

I'll be at the meeting on Tuesday as it's important for us to hear peoples' views and to maintain a dialogue - as Charlie says, best if we can 'co-exist and complement' each other.  Absolutely no reason why we shouldn't.

Sat 29 Nov, 10:02

Like others have said there is a big enough market for everyone, some people in Charlbury have different purchasing habits to what the Deli can offer. Businesses bring healthy competition and improve offerings in Charlbury, I look forward to it! Good Luck Chloe & everyone involved! 

Sat 29 Nov, 09:09

Comparisons only work when comparing like with like. To balance the Community Deli against the potential available for the Bull is not doing this.

Coexistence  is fine, we can value each for what they do / might, offer, but competition is not really what this is about.

Sat 29 Nov, 08:52 (last edited on Sat 29 Nov, 09:18)

Like Chloe said, Charlbury has a larger population than Burford, do you think every business in Burford kicks up a fuss about competition when a new shop opens? The fact is The Deli doesn’t work for so many of us in Charlbury, it closes at 4pm when all of Charlbury’s working population are still at work. That’s Monday to Friday that much of the population here can’t even visit the Deli. Charlbury is crying out for a quality ‘health conscious’ food store, which in my opinion is not what The Deli offers or is up to speed with, sorry but that is the reality. 

Fri 28 Nov, 20:16

Martin, with respect, I think that is exactly what is NOT "better". The Deli is - and has been for many years now - an integral part of Charlbury life, and (for some of us at least) is too important to be relegated to a "side show" to the business being discussed here, financed by an incoming enterprise. 

At the very best, the Charlbury Deli & Café and the bank shop will co-exist and complement each other. At the worst ... well let's not think about that just now. 😢

Fri 28 Nov, 12:44

Thanks everyone for your input so far, we have so many useful comments and messages (plus some lovely interactions in the street!).  I always think it's worth bearing in mind that we have a bigger population than Burford (and not too far off the size of Woodstock) so although we don't have quite the same tourist trade I'd like to think that the notion that we could support a few shops in town isn't too far-fetched!

I currently use Styan (and bought directly from them a lot at Chloe's), I'm sure there is room for both are ways we can work together, and like Michelle says they may even have capacity to stock us when produce is abundant!

We'd love to see you in person if you're able to make to our meeting on Tuesday 2nd, 7pm-8pm in the back room at The Bull, but please keep commenting and messaging in the meantime - it's all useful stuff, thank you!

Fri 28 Nov, 12:10

Hi Christopher

Perhaps it would be better to keep this thread focused on the new shop. 

One of the shareholders of the deli could just as easily create a separate post to find out what the community would like to see in the deli. I think that would be an really useful initiative, actually. 

Martin

Fri 28 Nov, 12:05

Couldn’t agree more Tim! There is a market for everyone and i’m sure many people who buy from the Deli will continue to do so. There are many who don’t regularly visit the Deli who have to buy all their products online because thats the only place they can find their market other than driving 30 minutes or more. Its that market and customer who is lacking options in Charlbury, those who are content with Styans and the Deli can continue their custom but there are many more of us in Charlbury who purchase differently. 

Fri 28 Nov, 11:56 (last edited on Fri 28 Nov, 12:55)

People seem to be forgetting that a new shop is better than no shop.

Next year (May) I will of had a shop in town for 20 years, in that time I have seen too many shops come and go. 

Why ? 

Well maybe because the people of the town…

Long post - click to read full text

Fri 28 Nov, 11:52 (last edited on Mon 1 Dec, 20:38)

I would greatly appreciate some good gluten free bread. They have terrific ‘real’ GF bread at Woefuldane Dairy in Minchinhampton, and when I visit my mum there, I always come back with a loaf, and one for the freezer.

As I am also dairy free I would also like some cheese alternatives which are not full of nasties. The best ones I have found are made from cashews. Otherwise I choose hummus and middle eastern meze things like babaganoush.

I would appreciate it if the people who serve in the shop know where the food comes from.

I hope that is helpful

Fri 28 Nov, 11:45

Maybe Styan could be one of the suppliers?

Fri 28 Nov, 10:44

For me who is particular with food due to dietary restrictions and avoidance of certain additives in food products I struggle to find much at the Deli. I’m also Coeliac. Not by absolute choice but necessity for my health  I have to make it a routine to buy a different range of products to what the deli offers and I think now with the awareness around food ingredients and incoming food revolution many of us are in the same boat. I don’t deny there are some really good products at the deli and I do pop in for honey and tea. I just feel Charlbury is missing a different calibre of offerings. I think that’s fair to say. 

Fri 28 Nov, 10:24 (last edited on Fri 28 Nov, 12:37)

Jim, Maggie and Rosemary rightly raise the issues of support, loyalty and helping Charlbury navigate the challenges of Covid, when making their buying decisions. Charlbury Deli and Cafe deserves our full support on these criteria as well. The Deli was established as a community owned business in Charlbury back in 1982 and has served the residents of our town excellently since then. The Deli currently stocks many of products or similar alternatives of the items mentioned earlier in this thread. For those that don’t know the Deli is now situated in the Corner House and accessed from the Browns Lane entrance. I for one would hate this wonderful Charlbury institution to suffer due to “new kids on the block”.

Fri 28 Nov, 09:11 (last edited on Fri 28 Nov, 09:12)

I agree with you Maggie. Styan provided us with a wonderful service throughout the Covid period, when we couldn’t get out and about to shop. They have been a huge asset to us and I sincerely hope that locals will continue to support their weekly stall.

Additionally, we can drop off empty SESI bottles at the stall, for Christine to collect and re-fill,  which we then collect from her shed. Let’s not forget these hard-working people who helped us to find our way through Covid, and continue to support us in these ways.

Thu 27 Nov, 20:15

Thanks Jim for making the point about Styan. I am concerned that those of us that can’t afford the prices that are likely to come from Chloe’s venture will lose out on the opportunity to buy fresh veg from a local source. Styan have been loyal to this town, particularly during COVID, so I feel they deserve our support.

Thu 27 Nov, 17:35

Good news, even before a new shop opens in the Old Bank building, lfor those interested in fresh fish, local grass fed meat & a wide array of cheeses, go to this event posting https://www.charlbury.info/events/10481.

As well as these three excellent stalls, Styan Family fruit & veg will be at the Christmas Market at the Memorial Hall on the 6th December.

Styan are outside the Community Centre every Saturday with their freshly picked produce & it's our aim to have a market on the first Saturday of each month during the winter months.  Come along & check out the offerings 

Thu 27 Nov, 15:43

I would like to see a good range of high quality meat, fish and dairy, plus other locally made produce. Would also be very keen for unusual or international store cupboard ingredients, similar to broadway deli which I think does things very well! Echoing the thoughts on good ready made meals too, although I guess Cook at the Co-op does fill this gap somewhat. 

Thu 27 Nov, 11:47

Another vote for gluten free and dairy free products! Also yeast free bread items such as those from the Good Grain Bakery… 

Wed 26 Nov, 23:38 (last edited on Wed 26 Nov, 23:39)

I would love to see some good quality local meats, some local, plastic free and seasonal fruit and veg (available throughout the week, not just on Saturday mornings) and some dispensers for rice, grains, cereals, dried fruit, nuts, seeds etc. 

Wed 26 Nov, 19:02

Mainly to say, we at the D & C are very happy to liaise with Chloe over the respective range of products we carry - to everyone's benefit.

See also the D & C thread for developments with that - and the thread in 'Roads' on parking restrictions affecting local businesses, on which I'll add another short piece soon!

Tue 25 Nov, 11:30

It would be great if you could store some gluten free products too 

Mon 24 Nov, 21:22

Hi Chloe! Thank you for this and good luck with the new venture! I echo a lot of what others say organic vegetables (as coop has none) local organic/grass fed meat would also be great as many of us have to source  this online or from farm shops further afield. And I would also say an amazing example is Abbey Home Farm Shop ( Aka The Organic Farm Shop) near Cirencester, their range of organic and top quality products is amazing, plus they have a zero waste section. Upton Smokery has a fantastic chef who does takeaway meals on the weekend which is great idea, he has a small counter with many tasty dishes that you can walk in and choose, this is also a nice little idea because we are lacking healthy conveniences in Charlbury for the busier folk amongst us. 

Mon 24 Nov, 17:27

Hi Chloe

This is great. Best of luck with this new venture.

My vote would be for high quality food that cannot be found in supermarkets. Local if possible and especially if good value.  No UPF and no palm oil as a matter of policy.

For example:

- Things like smoked cod roe and kippers from Upton Smokery

- Fresh or frozen corn tortillas from Masa in Bristol.

- Cheese from King Stone Dairy in Chedworth (especially Yarlington, which is delicious!)

- Organic wholemeal bread. This seems to be almost impossible to find, even though non-organic wholemeal bread has the highest pesticide content of any food. 

- Fresh or frozen fish, sustainably caught. 
- Organic fruit and vegetables

Looking forward to the opening!

Martin

Sun 23 Nov, 16:31

Hi Chloe, it would be great if you could consider the opening times to make it accessible to those who commute out of Charlbury during the week. It would be great if there could be one weekday with a later closing time so that locals coming home by train could also be able to pop by on their way home through town. Thanks!

Sun 23 Nov, 16:15

Echoing what others are saying: Zero waste, local and affordable

Sun 23 Nov, 14:19

I'd love to see zero waste at the heart of your offering. Here's what The Market Garden in Eynsham offers (edited to complement your desire not to compete with other shops):

As well as our fruit & veg we stock a wide variety of local & organic produce ranging from bread, cheese & tinned goods to cleaning products.  We also have a large range of dried & liquid products available to refill, including cereals, nuts, seeds, pulses, herbs & spices, oils, tea & coffee, SESI cleaning & Faith in Nature bodycare products.

Sun 23 Nov, 09:23

Fresh fish. The visiting fishmonger is now only here for an hour on Tuesday late afternoons, and parks at a place on the very edge of town which is fairly inconvenient for those living at the top of town. 

Also Tuesday is the day when those over 60 may well have shopped at the Chippy Coop. It has a good fish counter and offers a 10% Senior discount on Tuesdays on everything in store. They also have a decent range of local produce, also student and NHS discounts, so you do need to research what they sell. 

Local meat, including Ditchley beef, also rabbit and free range chicken would be good. Also local veg, but prices do need to be competitive.

Non-alcoholic wines,  beers and spritzes for those who don't or can't drink alcohol. 

Sun 23 Nov, 05:11

"...fresh chilled high quality home made prepared meals...", if these were free of UPF ingredients and clearly advertised as such, you be at the cutting edge of the coming food 'revolution'.

Sun 23 Nov, 00:32 (last edited on Mon 24 Nov, 00:13)

It's a long shot, probably, but I would kill for a 99.   You know, soft ice cream with a chocolate flake.   It's been at least a decade ...  

Also - someone reminded me - rabbit.  In a pie, or ready for me to stew.   Yum.  

Sat 22 Nov, 20:57

Lot’s of cheese would be class. A variety of English sourced wine, sparkling and spirits would be a great addition. A little seating area out the front to drink them or have evenings with antipasti / snacks  would be even better.

Sat 22 Nov, 17:33

Hi Chloe. Can you source nitrite free bacon and ham? Thanks. Sarah

Sat 22 Nov, 17:27

Hi Emily

Thanks for this, yes, I should clarify, there will be no seating and this will be purely a food shop, this will allow lots of space for produce (so in essence there will possibly be a nod to all the formats you mention, and we hope to cater to a broad church in terms of budgets).

Obviously we have ideas and want to support as many local growers, farmers and suppliers as possible so we are in touch with many of those already. But the reason we’re holding a public consultation is to get a good gage of what people in Charlbury would like to see, so it would be great to see you at the meeting or hear your thoughts about things you’d like to see. Thanks! Cx

Sat 22 Nov, 15:34

What sort of shop are you and The Bull considering Chloe? Another Deli, a Butcher's, an organic farm shop, a bespoke supermarket etc.? Will there be a cafe or it purely a "buy and leave" scenario? I would assume The Bull and you already know the type of establishment that will be moving in.

I echo what Rhona has said that it needs to be affordable or at least reasonably priced otherwise it will only appeal to a select few and tourists who are visiting The Bull.

Sat 22 Nov, 13:10 (last edited on Sat 22 Nov, 13:14)

Thanks Chloe, and Rachel!

One idea I would like to put forward would be a ‘no plastic packaging’ concept. It is possible to achieve oven-ready part-cooked dishes without plastic, with the range of Charlie Bigham products, for example.

Sat 22 Nov, 12:11

Good to have another shop in Charlbury but please keep the prices reasonable.  If it is too expensive, a lot of people won’t be able to afford to use the shop even if they would like to. Gluten free ready meals etc would be very helpful for those who are coeliac.

Sat 22 Nov, 11:55

Noted!  Sorry Rosemary.  Thanks to everyone who has dropped me a line - all really useful so far.  Thank you!

Sat 22 Nov, 04:50

Chloe – that is such good news for you and Charlbury.

I have always felt that there is a market for fresh chilled high quality home made prepared meals for commuters coming home from wherever they have been and walking up from Charlbury train station. My career heritage was in food marketing and the target audience of Charlburians feels right for such a proposition, plus I love food.

Piloting ideas could help de-risk, or doing a survey to gauge interest in different options.

I would love to see coquilles St Jacques on the menu. Delicious but not something I would make myself. Also tapas and dim sum. Special recipes that you don’t see often in supermarkets e.g. Spanish chicken, paella, Chicken Fricasse, bouillabaisse etc. Also to cater for vegetarians and vegans with interesting and tasty take home items.

There is also a need for a Chinese offering in Charlbury, whether a van each week or something else.

I hope that food and wine matching events will be part of your thinking. #yumyum

When I moved to Charlbury about 15 years ago, Thai meals were being offered in the Horseshoes pub and there was a butcher.

Hope that helps?

Fri 21 Nov, 20:52

Just askin! Please call us Charlburians, Chloe! Not to be confused with librarians. 📘📓📗 ☺️

Fri 21 Nov, 18:53 (last edited on Sat 22 Nov, 11:54)

Hi Everyone

I hope this finds you well. As some of you know I am involved with setting up a new food and provisions shop at Old Bank House (the old Charlbury Deli site) with the team behind The Bull opposite.

My hope is to put together an offering that appeals to both Charlburians and visitors to our lovely town. I am conscious that this will mean a varied stock, and we’re currently talking to lots of local farmers, growers and makers. We will be liaising with the Deli as they bed-in at The Corner House to navigate what produce they decide settle on too – this way we can make sure there is as much choice as possible in town.

With that in mind we’d love to have some input from you! We’re hosting a meeting to hear about the kinds of things you’d like to see. Please join us at the back room at The Bull from 7pm-8pm on Tuesday 2nd December to say hello and let us know the kinds of things you’d like us to stock, the drinks will be on us.

If you’re unable to make the meeting and want to send some thoughts or have any questions or comments do drop me a line through this website.

Thanks in advance and hope to see you there! 

Chloe