‘Little shop with the big ideals’ becomes latest casualty on high street

Truly Local in Stalham High Street is closing. Picture: Google Maps (Image: Archant)

Stalham's Truly Local, also known as 'the little shop with the big ideals', will be cashing up for the last time on December 8, due to a lack of trade.

The High Street shop opened in March 2011 after the CIC was started in October 2010 with about £28,000 worth of grants.

It only stocked food and other goods produced within a 35-mile radius, including vegetables and fruit, meat, dairy, bread, preserves, beer, wine, cider, local artwork and cards.

The team at Truly Local said on social media: "We're extremely proud of what we've achieved here. We've been able to support over 150 growers, producers and crafts people.

"During this time the not-for-profit community enterprise has been able to provide part-time employment to a couple of members of staff, assisted by a small band of volunteers and an unpaid group of directors who have given their time freely.

"We all agreed this is the right time to call it a day and for us to move positively to pastures new.

"The last nine years have been a great adventure, and proved it is possible to buck the trend of multinational domination given a bit of determination, a great deal of vision and thinking outside the box. We would like to thank all our wonderful customers."

The news was met with disappointment by loyal regulars including Cherry Lilley, from The Staithe, Stalham.

She said: "It is with great regret that I heard our local shop is closing due, I am told, to lack of local support.

"People seem to think because it is a small shop its produce prices are higher than local supermarkets.

"This is just not true. All the produce is out on the shelves when it comes in, not spending 10 days in a warehouse before being delivered to a big store and put out for sale.

"It is much more environmentally-friendly than any supermarket, because it does not have huge polluting diesel lorries delivering supplies to it."