Lewis & Cooper: ‘It is a wonderful thing we are still here’

The business is still run by the descendants of George Lewis, who bought the grocers he worked at with business partner Binks Barton Cooper, when it was threatened with closure.

“The way the high street is going, it is a wonderful thing that we’re still here,” Kayanne Smith, who has worked at the shop for 25 years, said.

The general manager put the success of the business down to its “committed staff”.

“While the shop is always keen to look at different trends, some people still like the old-fashioned products so it’s important to keep that balance,” she said.

A best-selling product in the shop, Mr Bush’s Plum Pudding, started out life exclusively at Lewis & Cooper.

Staff said they had originally been sold in another small shop, which had been “forced out of business” when a supermarket opened nearby.

After 7,000 puddings were sold at the shop during their first Christmas on the shelves, they are now sold all year round.

The store is well-known for its food hampers, which are put together by Rouma Read.

Ms Read has been with the business for 21 years and said: “I’ve really enjoyed working here and that’s why I’m still here.

“It’s fantastic, it’s more like a family.”