Exciting times for Llanrhystud Post Office & Stores (Stordy Wyre), as Bethan and Martin Jenkins, are the new owners of the village shop. They took over on the 21 June 2020. During a brief catch up with the couple, we find out about their working lives and what they have planned for the shop. You can already see the difference and the stamp of their own personalities, with plenty to look forward too, which includes a re-brand and a new retail purchasing website.

Contents:
Opening Hours
Whats Planned
Delivery Service
First Week of Trading

Llanrhystud Post Office

Martin has worked for the Post Office since 1976, some of you may remember him from behind the counter of Aberystwyth Post Office. Bethan worked for the NHS for 26 years, leaving 2 years ago, to work along side Business Wales, the work inspired Bethan to take on a new adventure, running the local village shop.

Both Martin and Bethan speak Welsh and have two young children who go to the local village school, Ysgol Myfenydd. These future shop keepers are very excited their parents have brought the village store, a life changing experience for the whole family, who are honoured to serve the local community.

What are the shops opening hours?

  • Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
  • Saturday, 8am to 3pm
  • Sunday, 9am to 12 midday

Whats planned for the village stores?

Martin and Bethan Jenkins new owners of Llanrhystud PO and Stores
Martin and Bethan Jenkins new owners of Llanrhystud PO and Stores

The plan is to turn it from a convenience store to a market store, geared toward a one stop shop, where you buy local! The main thing is to introduce what a lot of customers in the village have asked for, we are totally geared up to supporting the community and to ensure that we serve the community, by introducing fresh food, fruit and veg within the store.

They are also opening a gift shop within the business and of course, if you haven’t heard already, Blodau’r Bedol will be moving to the premises operating from the garage, so lots to look forward too.

For us, our main thing is sustainability and promoting local stockists, and looking at supporting small businesses, to showing case local talent from Welsh honey to craft items made in Wales.

What delivery service will you be providing?

The idea is to open a delivery service within a three mile radius of the shop, orders will be taken online through our new website, where you will be able to see what the shop has on offer online, including special offers! Providing deliveries to anyone who needs it, including the caravan sites, so we have a facility to assist the community, taking it to the people. Especially in the last few months during COVID-19, we know there is a call for it, where people in the community find it difficult to get to the shops or can’t carry as many goods as they can. So, we are here to assist, what ever we can do for you and the community.

Have you enjoyed your first week of trading?

We've injected colour along with personality, including items of Welsh county furniture, the first item being a Welsh dresser
We’ve injected colour along with personality, including items of Welsh county furniture, the first item being a Welsh dresser

Its been great, its been wonderful catching up with people we haven’t seen for a long time, (we’ve spent hours chatting) we are honoured that we are here. We are going to try and do a lot more community based events, supporting the school and individuals in the community.

Both are keen to promote the Welshness of our area, here in Ceredigion, its been a joy and ever so busy. We are not shying away from the work, its been great, its been wonderful, as you can see its a transition, if it was just us coming in selling the same old, that wouldn’t have been a problem, but we are keen to change things. We’ve injected colour to the interior along with personality, including items of Welsh county furniture and antiques, the first item being a Welsh dresser.

We are looking to become plastic free within our first year, and introduce bespoke wooden display stands. We plan for everything in the shop to be Welsh, and everything we buy supporting a Welsh business, and that’s what we are keen to do, along side, fair trade items. So if there is anyone in the community who is interested in promoting there items, craft, talent or what ever they have on the farm, we are open to and welcome new suggestions.

We want to spark a little more interest, to get people thinking and excited about shopping here, and seeing what the shop has to offer.