A husband and wife team have opened a community store serving local produce in Failand.

North Somerset Times: Honey and Ginger has opened in Failand. Picture: NatWestHoney and Ginger has opened in Failand. Picture: NatWest (Image: NatWest)

Failand couple, Ryan and Lisa Anthoney, have restored the convenience store and post office in Clevedon Road, which they have now reopened as their new business venture, Honey & Ginger.

The store serves produce from local suppliers – from milk and pastries to gin and wine – and the owners hope to open an adjoining community café in October.

Ryan’s parents, Ian and Lyn, will run the business day-to-day and plans are also underway to hire a team of 11 staff including post masters, as well as shop and café assistants.

Ryan said: “As residents of Failand, we saw the opportunity to create an accessible and family-run community hub – somewhere to have a coffee, support local businesses and somewhere we would enjoy spending time, we are sure others will feel the same.

North Somerset Times: Ian, Lisa, Ryan and Lyn of Honey and Ginger. Picture: Ryan and Lisa AnthoneyIan, Lisa, Ryan and Lyn of Honey and Ginger. Picture: Ryan and Lisa Anthoney (Image: Ryan and Lisa Anthoney)

“We hope that Honey & Ginger will prove to be a great success, and this might, one day, be a model that we can replicate, creating valuable community cafés and shops in other villages.”

Ryan owns several businesses including a successful fitness brand, Recharge Fitness, and Lisa joined tax consultancy firm ForrestBrown as a founding member in 2013, which has grown to become a global company.

The entrepreneurial husband and wife team have used a £445,000 funding package from NatWest, which will be used over the next two months to start a phased extension and renovation of the building, adding space for the community café and kitchen.

Ryan added: “Thanks to the funding from NatWest, we were able to purchase Failand’s dated store and post office, then begin transforming it in-line with our vision. We want to serve local people, including offering deliveries to the retirement village nearby, as well as provide a place for visitors exploring the surrounding countryside.”

Customers can also sign up to a subscription package covering either a small, medium or large weekly supply of essentials available to collect from the shop.

NatWest relationship manager, Ian Dudley, said: “Ryan and Lisa purchased the post office from its previous owners who were retiring, securing the future of this community asset. They will ensure it will continue to serve the village and we wish them every success.”