A COMMUNITY-RUN village shop has been recognised nationally for the service it provides.

Stokeinteignhead Community Shop, which was set up in 2009, is a runner up in this year’s Rural Community Business Awards.

The shop entered the Investor in People category in the 2026 Rural Community Business Awards run by Plunkett UK, a national charity supporting people in rural areas set up and run businesses in community ownership.

This category attracted over 80 other small rural businesses with the shop being nominated as a finalist, along with two other businesses.

The Stokeinteignhead shop was a runner-up in this category and was recognised at the awards ceremony held at the Royal Society of Chemistry in London.

The village had been without a shop for a year before an enterprising group of residents got together to raise funds to re-open the existing store which has now bee running for 17 years.

The shop plays a central role in the village on many levels.

It is somewhere for local people to shop without using a car and a place for residents to go, have a chat, get a coffee, pick up newspapers, post letters, do their grocery shop, meet friends, put up notices, and much more.

And it provides a hub for those less mobile, less confident and older residents so they can feel supported and provided for by their community.

Committee member Judy Bowden said: ‘The shop is the beating heart of the community - it is well respected and used by village residents and passers-by.

‘We were able to support the village during Covid with a full delivery and safe service to villagers.

‘The world has changed a lot since Covid, but Stokeinteignhead Shop continues to prove that a truly local service is very much needed.’

It stocks a wide range of goods, many of them local, including jams, chutneys and pickles, sweet treats, with craft shelves stocking items from local makers. It is also licensed, again stocking local beers, ciders and spirits.