Residents have welcomed the novelty of a new shop opening in their village pub after the traditional store closed down.

The landlords of the Blue Lion in Lewdown have come to the rescue of locals after the village store and post office closed down last year. The Lewdown Village stores was open for 58 years, but closed down, after the post office counter closed two years before.

Charlie Hughes and Nicky Hill had a grand opening ceremony of their ‘essentials’ shop on Saturday, January 31, when they offered hot drinks and a chance to meet and chat. They were delighted at the popularity of their new venture which is in a spare room of the pub. The pair sell fresh fruit and vegetables, milk, bread, drinks, bakery items and magazines and papers to order.

They have tapped a market of mostly elderly people who only want to pop in for a few items and do not want to try their hand at unfamiliar online home deliveries. Others are unprepared to travel to the the nearest village shops at Bridestowe or Lifton or even Launceston.

Graham Yeo, chair of Lewdown Grouped Parish Council, said: “The local community is pleased that Charlie and Nicky at the Blue Lion public house have opened a shop selling groceries, sweets, drinks and local produce to help replace ‘Copper’s Shop’.

“Initially the Blue Lion shop will be open for limited hours. Newspapers and magazines should be ordered in advance, but going by the grand opening’s turnout on Saturday, the community is in full support of this important new facility.

“The Lewdown village stores was run for 58 years by David and Elizabeth Copper until last November when sadly it closed because of age and ill health. The Coppers single-handedly supplied a large rural area of outlying hamlets and farms with newspapers, milk and groceries and also with a smile.”

Charlie and Nicky have been at the Blue Lion for 12 years. Both are well known members of the Lewdown community. Charlie ran the bar at the former Jethro entertainment complex for many years. He is also on the Lewdown recreation field committee and cricket club. Nicky works at Lewtrenchard Primary School. They have four children, of whom three are adults and one is aged eight.

Charlie said: “Nicky and I are really pleased to offer the shop as a service to the community who are, after all, our customers in the pub. It was great for us to see lots of new people who we wouldn’t see in the pub and for a community get-together as well.

“It’s not going to make us rich, by any stretch. But the village needs somewhere they can buy the basics after the Coppers’ shop closed. We were delighted so many people came to our launch opening. I think it’ll be popular with older people who haven’t mastered online deliveries.

The new Blue Lion shop opening times are currently limited to: Weekdays, 9am - 11am, and 3pm - 4pm and on Saturdays, 10am - 11am. Closed Sundays.