Cheese Retailers April 2024

specialityfoodmagazine.com 49 WE BELIEVE THAT CUSTOMERS UNDERSTAND THAT TRUE QUALITY AND CUSTOMER SERVICE IS NOT A CHEAP PROCESS Revisited Unfortunately, no business is safe from equipment issues, but Sue has learned that the right insurance and strong relationships really can save the day. “We had a major fridge failure but fortunately our insurers, NFU, were very helpful and so were our suppliers – we managed to fully re-stock nearly £10,000 of stock within a week so we could stay open for business,” she says. THE VALUE OF INSURANCE For Sue Hudson, who runs Ashburton Delicatessen with her son, Robin, 2023 was a busy year that came with somemajor challenges, but amajor win at the end of the year was the highlight of it all. “Probably our proudest moment came in October at the Taste of theWest Awards,” she begins. This prestigious award covers the seven counties in the whole of theWest Country, and we won the Best Speciality Retailer award for the second time!” Robin’s chef training has no doubt fed this success – as well as the appetites of food lovers fromwithin the local area and beyond. “We continue to grow, and customers are visiting us for our superb cheese selection as well as other goodies made on the premises and the large selection of ingredients we stock,” says Sue. 2023 was a non-stop year for Ashburton Delicatessen. “The last 12 months have been very busy in the shop. We had a very good summer, and Christmas was the busiest we have ever had.” However, set against this successful year have been somemajor challenges. “Our electricity costs went from £500 per month to £1,700 per month. Also, a great number of suppliers increased their prices which affected our margins.” Sue and Robin are finding that not all costs need to weigh on their shoulders; loyal customers recognise the cost of running a stand-out independent retail establishment. “We have learned to bemore confident in passing on increases in price to our customers, because if we try to cover every increase ourselves our margins will suffer as will our profits, and we won’t have a viable business to service our customers,” says Sue. “We believe that customers understand that true quality and customer service is not a cheap process.” Ashburton Delicatessen