Rich in history and picturesque surroundings, the village of Moira has offered locals and visitors alike an abundance of family businesses, boutique shops and top local services for centuries.
Today there's still no shortage of offerings when it comes to eating out in style and sampling the award-winning local produce, which is key to what makes Moira such a friendly and well-loved village.
Belfast Live paid a visit to the busy Co Down spot to speak to local business owners about what makes Moira so unique.
One of the most established businesses of recent times is International Hair & Beauty Salon, run by Kerry Anne McCourt, which has been operating for 16 years.
"We originally started with hair and beauty but we have expanded down the years and are now home to Northern Ireland's first modern Turkish bath," Kerry Anne explained.
"We also provide a wealth of luxurious beauty and spa treatments from facials to nails. We have a wide range of treatment rooms and run a training academy on our top floor with various courses on offer."
Kerry Anne added: "We've been very lucky with our client base who come from all over Northern Ireland and we've become a popular choice for birthday and hen parties.
"Our location is a bonus too as Moira attracts so many people because it has a lot to offer and something different for everybody. I have a lot of clients who followed me here from Belfast, who then go off and do their shopping in the village.
"Everything is on your doorstep and there is enough business for everybody."
Next door is a cosy wool shop, The Wool Pack, which Vivienne McClenahan opened around three years ago and boasts a colourful collection of yarns.
After a long spell working in local government, this was a completely new venture for Vivienne but one she is relishing.
"My father was in business but it was completely new to me and thankfully I had great support from others in the village who had been trading here for a long time," Vivienne explained.
"In a sense it was a hobby that grew into a business as I've always crafted and been knitting since my teens. I learned to crochet just before I left my last job and encouraged a few others at the same time!
"This was always the dream and an office joke with my old team that this was how we would spend our retirement - except I retired first!"
Vivienne said Moira was always the first choice for her new venture.
"Part of the village is still a conservation area so a lot of the buildings are listed, which all adds to the character of the place. We are now more of a small town but we still have that village vibe.
"It's still a destination that attracts people from Belfast and beyond who come and spend the day, have a wander around the shops and a spot of lunch."
Meanwhile, there have been long queues forming outside the Main Street's newest offering Rhiannon’s Cakes and Bakes, which opened earlier this month.
It's run by Rhiannon Woolsey, who is delighted to be providing homemade cakes and bakes and hot drinks to the fantastic community and village.
After starting out with her parents in their coffee shop, 'Esthers' on the Armagh Road in Portadown, Rhiannon began baking more from home for all occasions.
"In June 2020, I gave up my part time job as a classroom assistant (which I loved!) to pursue my dream of baking full time. I started up a small business in a cabin in my back garden - The Cabin Shop on Scotch Street.
"At the start of this year as we continued to get busier, it was evident that as a business we had two options, to continue as things were or expand. We chose option two and expanded to this second shop in Moira."
Rhiannon said the people of Moira have been "so welcoming" since she opened up only a few days earlier, offering around 60 different varieties of sweet and savoury treats.
"It wasn't a hard decision to open up in Moira but the warm welcome has made it so much easier and I feel so at home already," Rhiannon said.
"I'm trading beside other lovely business people who are also always very busy."
Elsewhere, Jonny Cuddy produces award-winning cured meats on his family farm in Aughnacloy and sells them in his Ispini Charcuterie outlet.
It all started when his wife, Sarah, bought him a book about pork a few years ago. Jonny decided he would have a go and soon discovered he was a dab hand at it.
"I started curing meats on the family farm about five years ago after renovating the old dairy parlour," he said.
"Two years before that my wife had come home one day with the book and read a page about salami. I thought to myself 'I want to do that' so the rest is history!"
This led to the opening in December 2020 of Ispini – Irish for sausage – just off the Main Street in Moira, a decision largely influenced by the village's reputation as a fine food hub.
"Moira was already such a foodie place with great cafes, restaurants and butchers so there was a lot going on already. I felt that if a cheese and charcuterie shop would work anywhere, it would be Moira," said Jonny, who runs the charcuterie production business with his sister Janice.
Ispini Charcuterie has quickly become a magnet for foodies from all over Northern Ireland by offering a wide range of cured meats, Irish artisan cheeses, sourdough breads as well as crackers and chutneys.
"I've been really well supported for the past year with people coming in every week for their meats and cheese while Christmas was really good too," Jonny added.
One of Moira's many popular stop-offs is Pretty Mary’s Bar and Restaurant, which serves locally sourced fresh food and a wide selection of draught and craft beers.
General manager Joe Webb took over the premises almost 20 years ago after making the move from Belfast pub company, Botanic Inns.
"We cater from 18 to 88 with drinks, food, music, sport, live music and craic," Joe said.
"I don't miss the big smoke any more at my age and the village has grown and grown with some great local businesses and people," he said.
"We have some top notch local businesses and I think that everyone is catered for with a mixed array. It's a nice wee walk up and down the Main Street with plenty of shops to browse around and no shortage of fine food and drinks."
" Post-pandemic I can certainly see optimism coming back in businesses such as ours too and that's great to see."
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