º£½ÇÊÓƵ

A trader who has seen deliveries spike in the pandemic is asking shoppers to stick with local businesses as the economy starts to reopen.

Ben Hartley, manager of Hartley’s, a family-run fruit and veg shop on the high street in Holywell, started the business four years ago after being inspired by his taid, who sold produce at markets.

When the pandemic hit they had huge support from the community and also gave back by keeping people fed and providing free fruit and veg outside the shop for any families struggling to make ends meet.

He now hopes that people keep backing local retailers.

He said: “We are extremely grateful to the public for their support. What started as a temporary alternative for some has now become a first option.

“You might not think placing an order helps, but it makes a huge difference.

"We are surrounded by supermarkets with lower prices, but people have discovered we can sell better quality and more variety. Not only that, but it greatly impacts our livelihood.

“When we first went into lockdown, we had 200 hundred orders per day, with 15 to 16 deliveries each day, this compares to six deliveries per week before Covid. Our small team worked 4am until 9pm throughout to ensure people got their produce.