Notes

Appleby Westward Group Limited Paris Distribution Opens a SPAR Store with a Difference in Devonport

A long-established Plymouth pasty company has joined forces with leading convenience store group SPAR to create a new retail shop – and created seven new local jobs in the process.

Devonport-based Ron Dewdney Ltd. has been making handmade pasties for over 60 years and has teamed up with Appleby Westward, SPAR’s regional distribution company for the south west to build the new store.

The store, in Park Avenue, Devonport opened on Friday 5th October representing the first joint venture initiative of its kind for the local pasty manufacturer.

Director Katrina Hanmer said: “We wanted to open another retail outlet near our existing retail shop in Devonport and at the same time link up with an established convenience retailer.

“SPAR is a brand with such a strong reputation, not just in this area but throughout the country as well as internationally, and we could not have found better partners for this venture.”

In a co-investment scheme with Appleby Westward, the company bought a commercial unit in Park Avenue and developed it into a modern convenience store.

“It was a step into the unknown for us, as we’ve never been involved in a store development like this, but SPAR have been incredibly supportive and we feel very lucky to have been able to do business together,” said Katrina.

The store features a special food-to-go bake-off section serving Ron Dewdney’s delicious handmade pasties. The product range – traditional, steak and cheese and onion pasties – is all handmade from start to finish, from rolling the dough, dipping, filling and crimping before finally baking the same quality pasties the family business first produced at the beginning of the 1950’s.

The remainder of the 800 sq. ft. store provides customers with a full range of SPAR convenience products including fresh fruit and vegetables, chilled and frozen foods, an off license, Lottery and Paypoint.

Manager of the store is Juliette Barnard and seven new jobs have been created to fill other staff vacancies.

Appleby Westward’s Sales and Marketing Director Nick Kenworthy said: “We are delighted to complete this joint venture project with Ron Dewdney Ltd and are confident the store, along with its unique food-to-go offer, will be very popular within the Devonport community.”