UK/ New solutions to save High Street

Saving the High Street has become a matter of national importance, the clearest evidence of which is the appointment of TV’s Mary Portas to lead a review. Her report to Government is due any day and will no doubt spark more media interest in the issue.

The issue is all too plain to see- High Street stores are closing or converting to non-traditional retail use, (mobile phones, estate agencies, charity shops). The multiple supermarket chains continue to open new stores, (often smaller, convenience outlets), and online shopping is growing at more than 20%. Once famous High Street names are disappearing, properties are lying empty and ugly, and employment in one of our biggest industries is at risk. I don’t believe that all High Street stores deserve to be saved- some deserve to fail and no-one can seriously expect to dismantle supermarket shopping in our modern society, but there are wider consequences that deserve attention.

The consequences of decline in our High Streets is felt most deeply in our rural villages, where shops and shopping form part of the fabric of the community and its traditional social life. I have had the privilege of working in the Peak District village of Tideswell for the last year or so as part of the BIG Lottery Fund/BBC One programme, “Village SOS”, broadcast in September. My role, as “Village Champion” was to help reverse the decline in local food retailing and establish a sustainable social enterprise into the bargain.

Tideswell is a large village and feels much like a small town- it is actually comparatively well served for shops, but the trends are clear- in the ‘40s there were about 35 shops in the village, and before we launched our “Taste Tideswell” initiative, we were down to our last butcher, baker, and greengrocer, plus a post office and convenience store. The village wanted to reverse that decline and avoid the “tipping point” of losing a specialist retailer for good, with all the knock-on consequences for the rest.

Our approach was not to adopt the stance of victims and launch a campaign, nor to open a community owned and volunteer run outlet. We took the view that the best way of investing public money (a lottery grant of £400k) was to stimulate the “conditions to win” for local retailers by launching an education based social enterprise, and let the market do its work.

A businesslike approach, based on marketing principles, was established, and we drafted a simple manifesto: “We are going to treble our local food economy by developing our artisan food industry and improving everyone’s expertise in growing, making, cooking, and selling good food. We’re going to make Tideswell famous, with a reputation and capability in food summed up in a nationally known and trusted brand, Taste Tideswell.”

Tangibly, this meant building a cookery school, the Tideswell School of Food, including a commercial kitchen, nano brewery, and meeting rooms, establishing a growing nursery , and launching a local food trust mark scheme, “Tideswell Made”. We employ a teacher to work in local schools at key stage 2&3, and in all 9 people, (5.5 FTE) are employed by Taste Tideswell plus several freelance Chefs- a boost to the local economy in itself.

Our thinking is that by making Tideswell a more attractive culinary destination we will increase visitor numbers and their spending in the village, especially on food. Furthermore, as local people spend more time reconnecting with their food “from plot to plate”, they will want to buy the more basic ingredients often found in local stores. Some may even want to start making products for sale themselves.

Although it’s early days, we seem to be having some success. Even before the undoubted boost of TV coverage, a new food shop opened and one re-opened under new, more dynamic management. The Tideswell Food Festival we held gave local retailers and pubs the tangible evidence of increased takings from our efforts, and it is now a regular fixture. Shops are raising their game and realising that good quality local products and personal service are in demand, and these represent their competitive edge against multiple supermarkets.

First appeared in ResPublica