THE well-known Tavistock delicatessen N H Creber Ltd is under new management ? but in a sense it is ?old? management, writes Ann Parsons.

Robert Creber is back in town after ten years away and is now the owner and manager of the store, together with his wife. ?I?m thrilled to bits and very, very pleased to be back,? he said.

The delicatessen has been owned by the Creber family since 1881, and Robert is the great-grandson of the original N H Creber.

The shop is known throughout the country and abroad, with orders for wine, cheese, clotted cream and the delicatessen goods coming from as far afield as Australia.

Robert said he was looking forward to taking Crebers forward.

?There are lots of things to be considered and looked at, including lunchtime opening, but it will all be positive moves. Tavistock has a lot of business and it should be good,? he said.

During the intervening ten years Robert has been working at Ough?s Delicatessen in Liskeard, and with Rick Stein for about three years at his delicatessen in Padstow.

?It was all good experience and interesting to see the different ways people do things. But it?s really great to be back in Tavistock doing the things we like doing.

?We?ve got a good bunch of girls on the staff to work with, which is really, really important ? quite a few were here when we were here before. And it?s nice to see all the familiar faces in the shop,? Robert added.

One of the long-standing customers to welcome Robert?s return was Meg Parker of Tavistock, who has been shopping there for 30 years. ?It?s good to see him back,? she said.