The Antrobus Community Shop and Tea Room

For 15 years our Antrobus Village Shop had been run successfully by a dedicated team of volunteers but in May 2018 it was served notice to move out of its premises (part of a house on Knutsford Road) due to the sale of the property by the end of June that year.

This sent the villagers into overdrive to find a solution to a big problem, our village shop is in the heart of the village and it has always been a central meeting place for all.

In fact, many a problem has been talked through in our little shop and many of our children had their first work experience there, not to mention those of us who have sent our husbands on a mercy mission for that urgent pack of flour or packet of butter when half way through a recipe we realise that the cupboard is bare!

There was no way we could allow this valuable part of our village life to end, so a meeting was called in the village school and a steering group was formed. The outcome is that The Village Hall bought an old static caravan and sited it on the soakaway at the end of The Village Hall car park and would become Landlord to a future and continuing village shop.

For the next few weeks, we had a team of hard workers transforming it! Each and every day we have local residents including farmers, electricians and plumbers all donating their time and skills, either learnt or new found. We have had an endless supply of tea makers popping in to keep the troops happy as well as an endless supply of homemade cakes. An absolutely superb show of how community life can make things happen.

As well as a Community Shop we decided to also have a Tea Room with the idea of it being a great meeting place for villagers and their visitors to congregate in. We have the large village field and playground alongside the static caravan, so it is perfect for the young and not so young.

The Shop and Tea Room opened on September 18th 2018 as was a great success
serving an array of homemade cakes, tea, coffee and cold drinks as well as providing
essential provisions.
Updates Still to come: The story through COVID-19 and what does the future hold?

Please contact us on info@antrobusvillagehall.com for further info.
(The Antrobus Village Shop and Tea Room is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as ‘The Antrobus Community Shop Association Ltd.’ )