A small shop judged to be the "beating heart" of the community has been crowned the best village shop and post office in the UK. Bay View Stores in Solva, Pembrokeshire may look small on the outside but it is a huge part of the tight-knit community in what has been dubbed one of the "poshest Welsh villages" in Wales.
The Countryside Alliance Awards - called the Rural Oscars - celebrate rural communities and the efforts of those committed to their future. WalesOnline visited Solva earlier this year and everyone we spoke to mentioned Gwyn Price, who runs Bay View with his mum Jean, and who both "epitomise" the strength of community which binds the whole village together. You can read about life in Solva here.
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After receiving the award for village shops at the ceremony at the House of Lords in London, Gwyn said: "Wow, we only went and won. I want to say a huge thank you to all our customers and our amazing staff. Thank you so much. I can’t believe we are the British shop and post office of the year 2023."
Located at the top of Solva, Bay View Stores is the only convenience store in the village selling pretty much anything and everything. From milk to oysters and meat to flowers, Gwyn is keen to showcase local producers as much as possible. He's also gained a reputation for some fun and quirky slogans on his chalkboard outside the shop. On Coronation weekend he boldly wrote: "Charles: do you fancy a quickie? Camila: I believe it's pronounced quiche."
Gwyn has recently added the Cwtch drop off centre in a small lean to at the side of the shop which used to house a milk vending machine. It’s a place where people struggling with the cost of living can pick up the essentials from a collection that’s been donated by people. Always trying to help out where he can, Gwyn felt he could do more for the community than what he was already doing. It’s quickly become a talking point in the close-knit community and people have been keen to understand how they can contribute to it.
The Award for Village Shops commends those who go above and beyond the call of duty and are the hub of the community. Judges said: "Bayview Stores....is a family run village shop has relished in providing a community service since the day they received the keys to the shop over 20 years ago. They have made it a life-long commitment to keeping the doors open of this lovely village shop which is bursting with essentials.
"During Covid they created “Cwtch boxes” which were boxes of food, treats and pick-me-ups for those who needed them. They delivered over 300 “Cwtch boxes” to those who were tirelessly helping others during the pandemic. This has now developed into a “Cwtch Drop-In”, a separate part of the shop where people can call in to donate food or to pick up what they need, free of charge, no questions asked.
"The service provided by Gwyn, his mother Jean (who still puts a shift in at a graceful age) and the family is hard to put down on paper. So many seek their advice, they are indeed the first port of call for residents, holidaymakers and general passers-by. There is so much that this busy shop provides the community, they are the beating heart of Solva."
Dyfed Shire Horse Farm, in Pembrokeshire, was also highly commended in the Rural Enterprise category.
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