Couple unveil new-look village store in Cotherstone

A village shop and post office, which was at risk of closing last year, has been given a new lease of life.
Adam Alston and Karolina Szyluk became the new owners of the Cotherstone business in May 2016.
The couple stepped in to save the village store which would have had to close if new owners had not been found following the retirement of Allen and Dorothy Christon who ran the shop for 32 years.
The shop has now undergone a major overhaul with the support of a grant from the Post Office’s network transformation scheme.
The scheme aims to modernise older branches and introduce a new open plan format.
Mr Alston said: “The responses from customers have been positive. Everyone was so used to how it was but we’ve had no negative comments yet.
“It is nice that people can now browse in the shop rather than everything being behind the counter.”
He added: “We are hoping it will give more longevity to the business. Before the refit, the limited range and people not being able to browse meant it was not great for business. Now we have everything under one roof. It is a much nicer environment. It is much brighter and more spacious. It looks completely different now.”
As well as having a new open plan post office counter, the shop now offers about 90 new lines including lots of basic goods as well as a bigger selection of confectionary, pet food and alcohol.
There is also an emphasis on local suppliers. The shop stocks a selection of local produce from Coghlan’s, Beverley’s Cakes, South Durham Honey, Loopy Lisa’s Fudge, Yorkshire Dales Brewery, Lonton Coffee Company, Teesdale Cheesemakers, Cotherstone Cheese, William Peat Butchers and Deli and Wellybix.
Having swapped their hectic city jobs in London for more relaxing roles in the dale, Mr Alston and Ms Szyluk said they have no regrets about their move up north.
Mr Alston said: “Cotherstone is such a nice place to work.
“You never know what to expect when you come to a small, close-knit community. Everyone has made us feel really welcome. It is nice to have that community spirit. We are people now rather than just numbers in the city. Our customers have become friends.”
The shop and post office counter are open seven days a week. This includes Thursdays when the post office will now be open until 5pm instead of closing at 1pm.
There are also plans to extend opening hours in the summer.