Buxton business celebrates success in national awards

Staff from Hargreaves and Son travelled to London last week to pick up two awards after being nominated in the Housewares Awards 2022.

The shop and cafe on Spring Gardens was put forward for independent retailer of the year and retailer of the year and came second in both categories.

Martin Cole-Evans, director of the family run business, said: “We are really pleased to have been nominated never mind do so well.

"We were nominated by suppliers and well known leaders in the industry and I didn’t know anything about it until the phone rang and we were told we were finalists.

“It was a lovely surprise and so nice to be recognised for all our hard work.”

He said like most businesses Brexit has hit Hargreaves and Son hard as they can no longer trade as easily with Europe but he is looking forward to the autumn when things should become easier with buying and selling restrictions.

Martin says that trade is almost back to normal after the pandemic and thanks his loyal customers for seeing them through a difficult period.

He said: “Without our customers there would be no shop.

"So it’s our customers who have kept us going and we have a great team of staff too and this award is for them.”

Looking to the future Martin said the business is going from strength to strength.

He said: “Our cafe is popular with locals and tourists, we have improved our website and we are doing good things and its nice the award has celebrated that.

“It would have been nice to have won but we are not disappointed as we didn’t even know we would be considered for the awards so I think everyone is just happy to have made second place in two categories.

"It was also lovely to go down to London and have a nice meal and chat with industry colleagues who have become friends over the years.

“It was a lovely day out and who knows maybe one year we will actually win first place!”

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