A new delicatessen – The Green Goat – has opened across the road from The Pink Goat restaurant and cafe in Corfe Castle in Dorset, boosting the number of shops in the village.
The luxury redevelopment of the old Coopers grocery stores in West Street, that had been empty for more than 20 years, bucks the trend of shop closures witnessed in many other rural villages. The Green Goat had its official launch party on Friday 13th October 2023.
The new shop was packed for the official launch party
Plenty of early Christmas shopping opportunities
Cheese, charcuterie, wine, chocolates, crisps and jam
The new addition to Corfe Castle offers residents and visitors the chance to buy specialist cheese, charcuterie, wines and luxury items, alongside more affordable options like crisps, jams and chocolates that are ideal as presents or for a special occasion.
The Green Goat has been opened by Pav Mrozinski and Ben Young, who also run The Pink Goat restaurant and cafe which was established in 2019.
Something new to try
The Green Goat owner Pav Mrozinski (right) was kept busy on the till all evening but did have assistance
Running the shop, Ben Young had plenty to celebrate
“Offering something new and different”
Ben Young said:
“By opening the deli, we’re aiming to bring back the shop to what it was, while also offering something new and different.
“It’s mainly local produce from Dorset and the South West of England, along with some high quality produce from France and Italy that you can’t normally get locally. We want to make people realise what’s available by gathering it all together in one place at The Green Goat.
“The hope is that lots of people will want to come in and enjoy the experience. I’m sure we aren’t for everyone but not everything is for everyone, however there should be something for most people. We are very welcoming and are encouraging people to pop in, say hello and have a good browse!
“Over the years, old fashioned customer service has declined with the growth of online shopping but here we want to bring back proper customer service and restore the connection between people and the goods that they purchase.
“In the shop, you can see what you want to buy and we can tell you all about that product, which we hope will make a refreshing change to the normal shopping experience!”
The store in West Street over the years
Grocery store for more than a 100 years
The Green Goat deli has taken over the premises of Coopers, a grocery store in West Street, that served Corfe Castle for more than a 100 years.
Coopers was established in 1884 and at the time of its closure in 1999, it was owned by Jeanette Collinson and her husband. Jeannette was invited back to officially open the deli.
A tempting selection to tickle the tastebuds
Jeanette Collinson cuts the official ribbon
“It’s stunning!”
Speaking at the launch party, Jeannette said:
“When we made the decision to close Coopers, we didn’t think anyone would want to take it on. We stayed living at the property and as we also owned the sweet shop in the village, I continued to run that.
“However my husband died in 2019 and then there was the pandemic. I gave myself two years but realised I couldn’t stay here as it was too big, so I put it on the market. In 2022, Ben and Pav from across the road, approached me and we came to an arrangement.
“This has been a big undertaking for them – it’s wonderful, absolutely wonderful. They’ve completely transformed the old shop – it’s stunning!
You can never have too much gin in Corfe Castle!
The rain didn’t deter those who wanted a sneaky peak at the new shop
Watch the official opening
Further information
- The Green Goat, 24 West Street, Corfe Castle BH20 5HD (opposite The Pink Goat restaurant and cafe) – pop in and say hello!
Ben unpacking the new stock in the week running up to the launch
And after a lot of hard work and late nights, the shop is ready for customers!
