About Us

Committee

Executive Committee:

Officers above plus:

Martin Huszak,  Marcus & Allison Harris, Richard Pepper

As the only town in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Church Stretton  boasts many independent shops and is home to businesses from a High Tech Chromatography Laboratory to Natural Organic Producers.

Proprietors work closely in partnership with one another and the aim of the Church Stretton & District Chamber of Trade is simple -  to ensure the viability and prosperity of all businesses in the area, and to secure the economic future of our town.

During this difficult time of downturn Church Stretton is buzzing and, unlike other market towns, has only one empty shop.   The Chamber of Trade appreciates the loyalty of residents who continue to ‘shop local’.

In a recent survey
CHURCH STRETTON was voted a ‘home’ town – NOT a clone town

Number of independently owned shops (from a sample of 50) – 44
Number of chain stores – 6
Number of types of shops (from a total of 26) – 19
Diversity score – 85
Clone town or home town? Home town

A visitor to the main shopping streets in Church Stretton – High Street and Sandford Avenue – can have no quibble with the number of chain stores. Because, dominated by charming independents shops, cafes and boutiques, there are only half a handful of them and to be fair they compliment the diversity offered by the smaller stores.

Men’s outfitters, ladies’ boutiques, and home-made food outlets are the order of the day, leaving its large number of tourist visitors in no doubt that this town is not like any other.

Chocolateur Lavinia Ratcliffe of Chocolate Haven says: “I don’t go to big towns because when you go you realise they are all the same and I don’t see the point.    “I think visitors like to see individuality.”

Jane Van Doesburg, chair of Church Stretton chamber of trade and owner of Van Doesburg’s gourmet deli on High Street, says: “It’s extremely important to have independently owned shops, especially in this day and age when there are so many multiples that sell everything.

“We have to offer something extra, but if a town can retain its individual shops it gives people an added reason to come.    People come from miles away for a suit from Pepper’s and they might then go and have lunch somewhere in the town or visit some of our other shops while they are here.

“But we cannot be complacent. We work hard to complement each other and if I have not got something someone wants then I try to point them to another shop in Church Stretton.”

Item courtesy of Shropshire Star
www.shropshirestar.com