Popular independent cookshop in Northamptonshire celebrates 25-year anniversary

A popular cooking shop in Northamptonshire is celebrating its 25th birthday this month (July).

Abraxas Cookshop in the Heart of the Shires shopping village in Weedon has been open for 25 years this year.

The company's other store in Northampton, in St Giles' Street, has been open for 15 years.

Abraxas says it stocks every item imaginable, from a pastry brush to state-of-the art coffee machines, cookware, bakeware, knives, electricals, gadgets, utensils and kitchen work stations.

Helen Standing, manager at the St Giles' Street shop, said the company's longevity is a 'great achievement'.

She said: "We just think it's a great achievement for an independent business in this day and age. To be here for 25 years, it needs shouting about!

"We’re a family run independent company. The original store was opened by sisters Helen and Sarah at Heart of the Shires shopping village and the business has now expanded to our shop on St Giles Street in Northampton and also Banbury and Rugby.

"It's just absolutely lovely. We've gone through lots of changes over the years with various things in our way. When we first started we didn't have the internet. But we have got our own website now, which has helped through lockdown."

Helen, who has been an Abraxas employee for 22 years, revealed the shop's secret for standing the test of time while many other stores have struggled in the internet age.

She said: "We pride ourselves on beautiful products and customer service, which you don't get in some stores anymore.

"All our staff are highly trained on the products and we are here to give the proper advice when customers are buying products.

"The Heart of the Shires store is always really busy. I think people like going over there for a day out.

"The high street store in St Giles' is up and down but we have still got our regulars and we are constantly getting new customers, but we're still trying to increase the footfall."

Helen added: "I think a lot of people in Northampton don't know we are here still. We hope we're here for another 25 years! That's the aim.

"We are really thankful for our regular customers who have been supporting us all these years. Without them, we would not still be here.

"We've got lots of exciting new products coming in all the time. Watch this space!"

The original Abraxas Cookshop opened in July 1996 at the Heart of The Shires Shopping Village.

The village was built in 1867 and in its former days a model working Victorian farm, the shopping village is now home to 22 retail outlets.