Well done Sustainable South Hams and @bigburynetzero for a fantastic event today at St Anne’s Chapel.
I bought several lovely Christmas gifts for friends and family from local makers, and the food served by @feastkitchendeli was delicious!
Great to meet @herbheavendevon @laserandgrain @cuckoofarmdevon and others.
Having run my own small business in Totnes I appreciate the endless hours, the passion and the dedication that goes into sustaining a small business, especially in difficult times like these. It's so much more than a job...
I'm also all too aware of the threat posed by the online warehouses who have a totally different model and can easily undercut small businesses.
So it was great this morning to see local people supporting local creatives and businesses, and to see a desire for those who live and work in our small communities to succeed.
We need to think creatively about what more we can do at both local and national levels to support small, homegrown businesses so they don’t succumb to the online giants and the supermarkets.
Policymakers can and must do more to help producers and entrepreneurs survive and thrive.