Tag: high street hero

(Photo credit: @girl_behindthelens on Instagram) Becki Higgins, like many, came out of the pandemic with a different perspective on her career. After 10 years of stable employment as a social housing officer, she switched gears into self-employment as the owner of Becki Leigh Studios, diving headfirst into designing and creating gifts for women like her who shared similar hobbies. Since becoming a solopreneur, Becki has developed enough of an audience to work on her business full-time and has gone on to win the 2024 Sole Trader of the Year Award from Devon Women in Business. Read more about how she changed careers, how she’s had to balance her home life with her work life as a sole trader, and the challenges she’s faced as well as her successes. How did Becki Leigh Studios start? I always thought I’d stay as a housing officer as I adored it, but when my kids came along, the really long hours and commute became quite intense, and it felt like I was missing out on that family time. A few things also happened in my life. I sadly lost my brother, which put into perspective how short and precious life is, so when I

Yellow Umbrella Gifts is a gift shop with a difference. With the support of 28 different artists and crafters and her mum, owner Hayley Kyte has created a vital space for Newton Abbot’s crafting community and its shoppers as it brings independent, handmade gifts to the high street. Hayley Kyte tells us how the shop started, how she keeps customers happy and coming back for more, and how she has moved fast to compete with chain retailers in the rush up to Christmas. How did you get started with opening Yellow Umbrella Gifts? I started crafting for my mental health after 15 years of hairdressing, then it developed into the business with my very first tabletop event in Kingskerswell Church Hall. I just found my niche hand-making and designing plantable greeting cards and plastic free giftware, and made that a business rather than doing it just as a hobby. Then that escalated into bigger events. I got a bigger gazebo, I wholesaled my greeting cards, I was in 86 shops around the country, and I met lots of lovely people along the way. A lot would say ‘people aren’t coming to the event, people aren’t seeing my product, I’m not

The Plot Deli is another one of Newton Abbot’s best kept secrets. Just a little walk from the High Street, you’ll find the beautifully painted front of the café. From shelves filled with locally sourced goods, to fresh food served daily, The Plot Deli has plenty to offer. But it’s also a community-led and community-focused space, from workspace days where people can use the café as an office with unlimited teas and coffees, to poetry nights where many writers gather to share their stories. Owner Kris Hanson has always had a hand in food and charity, working at various restaurants in Cardiff and Exeter, and running community interest companies such as Feed South Devon. Despite facing hardships during COVID, Kris adapted to the changing economic climate which led him to open The Plot Deli, as he shares his experiences below. What lead you to open The Plot Deli? The Plot Deli came about because of The Plot Catering, as it started with growing all our own fruit and veg on our own allotment. As we grew and grew, I realised we could never grow enough on our own allotment to make the company viable, so we outsourced to local suppliers

“Why on Earth would you have a comic shop in Ashburton?” Jenny Donaldson, owner of Ashburton’s Gnash Comics, says. Jenny’s shop has been a fixture of Ashburton’s community for 12 years, thriving even after the threat of closure during the pandemic. Gnash Comics is not just a place that sells comics, graphic novels and manga, it’s also a space where the medium is celebrated as an art form. This can be seen from how local comic artists such as Jock and Lee Garbett have championed the shop, to the activities held at the shop, including a community comic swap space not unlike the book swap shelves at your nearest café. Jenny describes the journey she’s been on as random, as she’s gone down various different paths such as working for housing associations, building and development, and theatre, before opening up shop. How did the idea for the comic shop start? I obviously read comics as a kid and my son was really into 2000 AD, so comics have always been a part of my life. This seemed like the right thing to do because comics are a fantastic medium. I’m trying to promote comics and books for younger readers as

The Maltings Taphouse is one of many up-and-coming alternative spaces in Newton Abbot that focuses on serving quality beer from independent brewers around the world. The Maltings is an important part of Devon’s industrial heritage, as the building was constructed by the Tuckers family in 1900, and used as a malt house all the way until it ceased production in 2018. As well as serving as a venue for the Maltingsfest, it is also the home of The Maltings Taphouse, which opened in 2016 and changed hands in the span of a few years until current manager, Chris Cutts, stepped in. With a background in the ambulance service and charity work, Chris moved to Devon during the pandemic and initially worked part-time at the taphouse before being asked to take over as the general manager. Now he shares his experiences of running The Maltings Taphouse and his goals to transform it into a communal and cultural space. What makes The Maltings Taphouse different from your pub down the road? You’re very unlikely to see any of the same beer here as in Wetherspoons, for example. We focus on high end craft beers and real ale from across the country, Europe,

Phoenix Sounds is a community-based record store that has established itself as the definitive place to buy music in Newton Abbot for over 20 years. In a market dominated by online retailers and streaming platforms, Phoenix Sounds provides a brick-and-mortar experience for customers and staff to share their appreciation of music together. Since Roger Cox’s ownership in 2022, he has adapted the record store to suit the rapidly changing music landscape and the desire for a local music-focused community space. Roger has kept the community spirit alive by collaborating with fellow independent retailers and hosting live music and events in the store. Roger has had plenty of experience as a business owner, which has contributed to the growing success of the shop, starting off as a chef and pub manager by trade, then supervising the cleaning divisions of various companies such as Sainsbury’s and ServiceMaster Clean. He has also assisted his wife, Marsha Cox, with the development of business consultancy Marsha Miles Consultancy Ltd. Throughout this time, they were both loyal customers of Phoenix Sounds under its previous ownership. How did you come into the ownership of Phoenix Sounds? One chance meeting was in the shop with my wife, since we

First Draft Books, based in Bovey Tracey, is one of many thriving independent bookshops that provide a space for Devon’s growing literary scene. It not only serves as a bookshop, it also serves as a community hub for author talks, silent book clubs, and many more exciting events, uniting avid readers and talented writers alike.

Owner Leslie Leggett, a Kentuckian turned Devonian, opened her bookshop in 2023 after a varied career in community work.

A Spotlight On: Laura Horton, Plymouth Laureate of Words When a 23-year-old Laura Horton came across a vintage Christian Dior pencil skirt, black and gold with deep pockets it seemed to be the perfect symbol for who she wanted to become, someone thin, stylish and successful, like the women she saw in Vouge or on Sex and the City. She had been visiting her brother in California when she spotted the store, and in it the skirt bearing a $10 tag– the first designer piece she had ever been able to afford.  When Horton returned to the UK, it sparked what would become an utterly ‘suffocating’ decade-long shopping compulsion. Having moved from Plymouth to London to work she signed up to a notification from every sample sale in the city, organizing her freelance schedule around it.  Laura Horton, now the Plymouth Laureate of Words charts her obsession with fashion in her Fringe First winning show ‘Breatheless’ produced by the Theatre Royal Plymouth and showing this week at the SOHO theatre.  BIPC Devon talks to Laura about her journey toward making a living as a writer, de-mystifying funding, freelancing and more…           Images by Flavia Fraser-Cannon. How ‘Breathless’ began… Laura says; “Breathless (Laura