The Granary re-opens under Tier 2 restrictions

The Granary re-opens under Tier 2 restrictions

After a month’s lockdown, The Granary in Snettisham re-opened its doors this morning (2nd December).

Angie Raines took over the site in 2011 and now a total of eighteen businesses operate from the Granary that is best described as a retail oasis.

The product range is vast with each specialist business adding something different to the mix and making every visit interesting. Everything from gifts and house signs to handbags and hats to paint fill the ground floor along with a café serving food from 10am to 4pm every day.

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Upstairs is full of antiques, vintage, retro and collectables. An episode of the TV programme Antiques Roadshow included a visit to the Granary which helped put the antiques side of the enterprise on the collectors map.

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“I suppose I took over the Granary on a whim,” said Angie.

“I had been in catering for about nine years and had operate the café at Park Farm, then I saw this place advertised and asked my sister out for a coffee here; when we arrived she asked what it was all about and when I told her I wanted to take it on she thought I was mad and here I am almost a decade later with my daughter Carol, and granddaughter Kelly in the business too.”

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Like every non-essential business Angie had to close down during both lockdowns but her innovative approach led to the development of a take away business that included pasties, quiches and cream teas.

“ I was pleasantly surprised,” she said, “we started taking out food to some of our older customers realising that they were isolating and might be in need of a treat, but then people started ordering and we even had one order placed from New Zealand for a relative in the village.

“ We also had a very popular Saturday mini market outside with food and charity books during the first lockdown, but this time round it’s been a bit too cold for that although we have been doing the takeaways.

“We have been supporting the CLIC Sergeant Charity for many years and have raised a £26,786 so far from special events and the sale of second hand books.”

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Employing ten people in the café Angie said she was grateful for the financial assistance from the Government during the pandemic, especially the furlough scheme, as she has been able to secure the staffs’ futures rather than make them redundant.

When asked about future plans Angie said:“ It is really difficult to plan at all at the moment as we don’t know if there will be a third lockdown early next year, it’s really a case of doing what we can and business as usual, I’m just glad we can open today and people can be assured we are Covid-compliant – we follow all the rules to the letter.”

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Angie (left) and Ann in the kitchen

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