Northamptonshire village pub opens pop-up grocery shop to support those in need

A Northamptonshire village pub is helping those in need by opening a shop filled with local products one day a week.

The Old Talbot in Potterspury may be closed as a pub during the coronavirus lockdown but will be open every Saturday to sell groceries and more.

Landlord Stephen Roberts said: “As a community pub we’re doing what we can to support our locals.

"We’re fortunate to be able to offer our a community a safe way to shop, and it’s been incredibly well-received.

"We will definitely be continuing to offer our support in any way we can.”

The Old Talbot has been shut since March 23, but the team wanted to support the village community during the lockdown with supplies sometimes difficult to get hold of.

On April 10 and 11, they sold a range of items in the pub while adhering to the social distancing and hygiene guidelines.

The pub and the garden were filled with fresh groceries, alcohol, flowers and plants, with suppliers including Whittlebury Bakery, Green Kitchen Preserves and Wharf Distillery.

It went so well, Stephen and his team have decided to make it a regular feature so the Watling Street pub will be open from 9am to 2pm on Saturdays.

They are also planning to launch an online ordering service so they can provide for those unable to leave the house as a result of lockdown,

Mark McGinty, the managing director of operations at Hawthorn Leisure, which owns the pub, congratulated the team for their hard work.

“It is more important than ever that our pubs are community hubs and we are delighted to see that our partners are working with locals to offer essential services," he said.