In December 2006 Drumbeg Stores was adjudged the best village shop in Scotland in a national competition organised by the Countryside Alliance in conjunction with Farmer’s Weekly and The Daily Telegraph. A few months later we were delighted to attend a reception at the House of Lords in honour of the winners of the various retail categories across the United Kingdom.
Nationally, more than 2000 small businesses were nominated by their customers in 2006 in the Best Rural Retailer competition. In the Scottish final of its category (best village shop and / or Post Office) Drumbeg Stores faced strong competition from shops as far afield as Angus, Dumfriesshire and the Isle of Arran. However, we were lucky enough to get the nod from the Scottish Countryside Alliance and Visit Scotland judges who commented as follows:
“Despite the most rural of locations and what must be difficult trading conditions, Ann and Brendan Butler have thoroughly embraced their role of running the local shop. The store is jam-packed with fantastic local produce, fine foods and also staple goods at surprisingly low prices .... it seems the Butlers will do anything they can to please their customers. A delightful shopping experience.”
Put simply, our philosophy is to provide “an interesting and affordable alternative to supermarkets for the community-minded” with fewer food miles, Fair Trade and organic products, Highland produce and a large variety of Fine Food.
Put simply, our philosophy is to provide “an interesting and affordable alternative to supermarkets for the community-
Dr Eleanor Scott, the Green MSP for the Highlands and Islands, wrote to congratulate us and wished us every future success, saying she was particularly impressed by the effort we had put into promoting Highland produce. Lord Thurso, our local parliamentary MP, was kind enough to congratulate us in person by attending the House of Lords reception.
Writing in The Edinburgh Evening News in December 2006, Tony Andrews (chief executive of the Scottish Countryside Alliance) praised our “imagination and initiative” and pointed out how ironic it was that, like many others, Drumbeg’s Post Office was now under threat of closure: “When Mr Darling is next in Scotland campaigning for the Labour Party, he should take the time to visit Drumbeg Stores and have a chat with Brendan and Ann Butler. Then he will see the difference they make to their community - and perhaps then he will offer them support and encouragement instead of cutbacks.”
