Pub opens village store thanks to grant funding

Landlady Rachael Parke has swapped pulling pints for stacking shelves

Clare Worden/BBC Rachael Parke is standing in her community shop in front of shelves of food. She has shoulder length black hair, wears black glasses and is holding a mug of coffee and a box of cereal. — Landlady Rachael Parke has swapped pulling pints for stacking shelves

A new village shop has opened at a Norfolk pub thanks to funding from a national initiative.

An outbuilding at The Duck in Stanhoe, near Docking, has been converted into a coffee shop and store.

Pub is The Hub, a not-for-profit group set up by King Charles III in 2001, offers grants to help pubs diversify their products on offer.

Proprietor Rachael Parke said the money meant she could afford to hire a dedicated staff member to run the shop.

"With the nearest shops being several miles away, we don't have public transport here and we do have some people who don't drive," she explained.

"With national insurance going up and all the other expenses we're facing, it just gives us a buffer to hire that extra person who will become part of our team here at The Duck".

Terry Stork, from Pub is the Hub, said for many villages, the pub was the last community space still open

Clare Worden/BBC Terry Stork is wearing a black suit and white shirt. He is leaning on a sign which says "Stanhoe Stores" in front of a building which is clad with lots of round stones — Terry Stork, from Pub is the Hub, said for many villages, the pub was the last community space still open

The Duck was taken over by Rachael and Jeremy Parke in summer 2023 and the shop opened at the end of October this year.

Stanhoe is a small west Norfolk village, which has about 200 residents.

Terry Stork, from Pub is the Hub, said pubs had a huge role to play in providing essential services and offering a social space for people who were lonely or isolated.