Lockdown saw Hawarden Post Office team go the extra mile

If you know of or are a business that goes above and beyond, we want to hear from you, and celebrate our local independent traders and high street heroes. Email claire.pierce@newsquest.co.uk for more details.

HAWARDEN POST OFFICE VILLAGE STORE

Mark Rogers took Hawarden Post Office Village Store in the Flintshire village in February 2019 but the the post office has been there since 1907.

The business was nominated for our Trader of the Week by Hawarden Dee Valley Rotary president, Gary Williams.

Mr Williams said: "Mark and his team have worked tirelessly to support villagers, and their 'can do' attitude and sense of humour have been an inspiration to us all.

"They have certainly gone above and beyond and they continue to do so. As the local Rotary Club, we have been so impressed with Mark and his team, we presented them with a Rotary Community Service Award.

"I truly believe that the Hawarden Post Office Village Store should be recognised."

We hear from Mark more about him, his team and the business...

What do we do/make/sell?

As well as a Post Office counter service, we sell and offer several services. As a village store I am a great believer that you have a responsibility to look after the community and the customers you serve.

The Post Office has become a real hub of the village, where people come to chat and share stories of happiness as well as for support and reassurance when things are not going well.

My philosophy is to serve with a smile, go the extra mile and if it can be done we will do it or at least have a damn good try.

The shop is open to everyone, especially our four legged friends, who play a big part in Hawarden village. It's great to see dogs pulling their owners to the shop so they can get their daily biscuit from us, some say it's a marketing ploy, I say treating everyone that comes through our doors as family makes the difference for a community shop.

Over the last 18 months, we as a team have worked alongside other local suppliers and businesses to create a village shop that can offer a little bit of everything, with quality and price always being at the forefront.

I am a great believer in supporting Welsh companies, especially local where I can, and this can be seen in the products we sell. From fresh bread and cakes from Hellan Bakery in Denbigh, as well as the artisan bakery of Chatwins from Nantwich.

We sell fresh milk from Bellis Bros from Dury Lane, Buckley. Our fresh fruit and veg, which is delivered daily, comes from Alan & Phil Huson from Huson Produce here in Hawarden, where a lot of produce is grown on site.

We deliver and can make-up fresh fruit and veg boxes daily, which has become very popular. Many other Welsh companies like Patchwork Pate who supply pate and jams from Ruthin, and Snowdonia cheeses from Rhyl.

As well as all the standard groceries you would need, from tea and cereal to biscuits and washing up powder, we sell it all.

Our expanding wines and spirits range is very popular, especially our choice of artisan Welsh craft gins. Always one of my faves!

We also sell local Welsh crafts and gifts such as the beautiful pottery of Sarah Bartlem Ceramics from Northop and handmade scarves from The Village Tailors here in Hawarden.

Welsh food and drink hampers made up by us here at the Post Office makes a lovely present. Cedar House Flowers here in Hawarden supplies our flowers to sell.

We offer dry cleaning services from Evergreen Dry Cleaners in Connah's Quay and freshly baked bread from Rob and Kate at the superb local restaurant here in the village, The Old Grocery and for an afternoon treat or gift we work alongside Jan at Adorable Tea Parties, again here in Hawarden, to deliver a lovely surprise or a treat for yourself and friends and family.

We set up a free local delivery service in March this year due to Covid-19 and a service we have continued with and always will as it's now part of our DNA. This has grown and now I deliver as far as from Wrexham to Connah's Quay and everything in between.

We are soon to launch freshly made sandwiches and outside catering after listening to our customers, over the next month.

What is your most memorable or proudest moment in business?

There has been many over the last 18 months but more so over the last six months. I am very proud of my team of Sue, Ellen, Jan and our newest team member Emily, who have worked so hard ensuring we stayed open and able to serve the community.

The week of lockdown the demand for all the basics was at a high and all through closure the relationships I had built over the last 12 months before enabled me to always be able to serve milk, bread and fresh fruit and veg, even the famous toilet roll quest here at the Post Office we managed to still supply!

The amount of support and thanks we had was incredible from the community, which was lovely to receive. To top it all, to receive a special recognition from Hawarden Rotary for all our work through the lockdown was the icing on the cake and a very emotional time for myself and the team.

We are proud to support the local community, from the W.I. run by June Jeffries, St Deniol's Church and Library or the wonderful Hawarden Rotary and its many kind members who give up their time to support and help the local community

Anything else we should know?

I have managed to get to the age of 50 without doing a newspaper round as a child but I found myself during lockdown delivering daily for 14 weeks straight, seven days a week, newspapers to over 40 houses.

I set this up for my regular customers who were shielding or vulnerable but it grew and I delivered newspapers and magazines, which I think was important, for many people it was their contact and information to the outside world.

For me it was also a check-in to see if my customers were ok and needed anything else. It became an extension to my shop where we ended up posting letters or delivering birthday gifts from flowers to chocolates or gifts we had. I would go shopping for my customers or even deliver medicines and prescriptions where needed.

During this time this was my fitness workout, who needs a gym?!

Another funny story was when one of my customers locked themselves out of their house and I was their only hope as their back door was open but it meant climbing over a high gate and fence.

Being vertically challenged, at 5ft 7in I knew this was going to be a challenge but I took my ladder and walked through the village. Arriving at the property I placed my ladder near the gate and ventured up. I had to throw myself over the top. As I did, getting caught on the top and dangled whilst the customer's dog on the other side was looking at me as if to say 'what are you doing' and took itself back off into the house.

Eventually I managed to free myself and dropped to the ground when the customer then said 'oh I meant to say there was a spare key just on top of the gate' which fell on me as I fell to the other side!!

But the customer got in and I ended going back a bit bruised and battered but smiled as I thought 'that's what running a village shop is all about'.

Hawarden village has so much to offer and we would love you to come and see us and all the wonderful businesses, pubs and restaurants we have.

• Hawarden Post Office Village Store

1 The Highway

Hawarden

enquiries@hawardenpostoffice.co.uk

01244 532149