THE owners of a new community shop in South Somerset have thanked residents for their overwhelming support after more than 100 people turned out on the first day of trading.

Shepton Beauchamp has been without a ‘vital’ community shop since January, but thanks to two of the town’s residents, the village is open for business again.

Angela Joy, who left her job working for NFU Mutual to start the project, and Tom Dawson, who has come out of retirement, opened Angie’s Village Shop and Tea Room on March 31.

A crowd gathered to cheer the ribbon cutting and have a look around the new facilities, with 115 people visiting on the shop’s opening day.

Afterwards, Angela, who has lived in Shepton Beauchamp for more than 20 years, said: “It is going very well. It is lovely.

“We have had so much support from villagers and people coming who are not from the village. There was a shop that closed in Shepton Beauchamp in January, and that is now up for sale.

“We didn’t want to buy that so my partner suggested we have a look at another premises.”

Among those at the new shop’s opening were representatives from the parish council.

The ribbon was cut outside the building at The Shambles, opposite the Duke of York.

Jane Bishop, chairman of the Shepton Beauchamp Parish Council, said: “I consider this to be a real red letter day for the village, that we have been able to have these wonderful people to open the village shop again.

“I think everybody knows how important the shop is to the village and the fact that we have been without one for a couple of months made everyone realise how vital a service it is to the village and community.

“I know Tom and Angie will do a wonderful job. They will be a pleasure to go and meet every time we go in there, and we at the parish council wish them every success.”

Angie added: “They were just queuing to get in. We knew we would get people because we have had a lot of support.

“Lots of people were coming to have a look. We are a little community shop so we have general things you need and then gifts and the cafe.”

For more information, contact the shop on 01460 391956.