Gibsons trades again
When Hurst residents Jordan and Leila saw the news on Hurst Hub before Christmas that Gibsons was closing, they thought they ‘couldn’t let in happen’ and sprang into action. After one meeting with Paul Gibson, they took over the business and have seen steady trade ever since. “It all happened very quickly,” said Leila, “and the support from the village has been amazing.” Her father was the gardener to the Bishop of Exeter, so providing produce runs in her family.

Jordan has run a landscape gardening business for 20 years and with three young children they felt the time was right for a new challenge. Jordan’s experience will not be wasted, as they hope to be able to sell perennials from the shop in due course. “We hope to make some changes, but we are not reinventing the wheel; we will carry on selling fresh, local produce,” commented Leila. They have already installed a card-reader, which 90% of customers are taking advantage of, are open six days a week and they will be supporting the local food bank with a gift card scheme. One customer told Hurst Life: “I think it’s amazing what they’ve done for the community by keeping the shop open and I hope they make a success of it.”