Happy customers repaid Quail’s Fine Foods with Spend Local money

Happy customers repaid Quail’s Fine Foods with Spend Local money

Customers who appreciated the service they got from Quail’s Fine Foods during lockdown paid them back with their high street voucher.

In an interview appearing in the forthcoming Neighbourhood Retailer yearbook 2021, owner Joseph Quail reveals that customers recetnly came in with their Spend Local card to repay them for their attentive service.

The farm shop, butchery and deli – the oldest surviving retailer in Banbridge – offers a wide range of own-brand products, including jams, chutneys, pies, salads, value added products and side dishes.

The company had ventured online before the pandemic, which proved vital at a time when everything changed in local retail.

“We were able to keep our site updated and it was very successful during the pandemic, but I would say that people have now reverted back to their normal way of shopping,” Joseph says.

“It was very busy at the time and as we had the cafe we were able to reallocate some of  the  cafe staff and focus them more on retail. We were lucky to be able to keep open and keep the core of our team together throughout.

“It also meant it was easy to reopen the cafe and restaurants afterwards because our team was still there.

“The nice thing about it was that we were able to be there for the people in community that needed us and we delivered to  them if required.

“We had some customers in pre-Christmas who spent their high street vouchers with us. They told us they were spending them with us ‘because we were good to them over the pandemic when they were shielding.

“Everyone understands how much of a social interaction shopping in the high street is, and for a lot of people it’s a part of their day. We enjoy serving customers and they enjoy getting that extra bit of service too.”

To read the full interview, see our forthcoming Neighbourhood Retailer yearbook.