New fruit and veg shop opening in Alderley

By Lisa Reeves - Tuesday, 8th November, 2011 - 18 comments

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Local residents are going to have a new place to shop for their fruit and vegetables as a greengrocers is opening up in the premises previously occupied by Alan Jackson Butchers.

Steve Leyland, who runs the flower stall on Grove Street in Wilmslow, is collecting the keys this week and planning to open his new shop at the beginning of December.

Steve will be well known to many local residents because in addition to running the flower stall for the past 11 years he has had numerous fruit and veg shops over the years.

Following in his father's footsteps, Steve began working in the industry when he was 16 years old. He started out in Sale and has had shops in Macclesfield, Congleton, Wilmslow and Heald Green. He also ran 'Alderley Veg' at The Parade about 15 years ago.

Steve told me "We are going to be selling fruit, veg, flowers and a range of delicatessen products, including cheeses, pâtés and oils. We'll see how it goes, what people want to buy and maybe we'll look for somewhere in Wilmslow in the future."

The new shop in Alderley Edge is a joint venture with Steve Cooper from Knutsford based Michael McDonald who supply fruit and vegetables to the catering industry.

Steve Leyland from Dean Drive, Wilmslow will certainly have his hands full over the next few months as he'll be running the new Alderley Edge shop alongside his Wilmslow flower stall.


18 Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Alan Davies Tuesday, 8th Nov, 2011 3:23 pm
Good luck Steve, and welcome back to Alderley Edge. It will be good for the village to have a specialist greengrocer on London Road again.
Giles Watmough Tuesday, 8th Nov, 2011 3:35 pm
another lovely idea, I just hope the people of the village will make it commercially viable
Kirsteen Peel Tuesday, 8th Nov, 2011 4:41 pm
Brilliant news - Steve's flowers and plants are excellent quality, I always like to buy from him if I am in Wilmslow when he's around. Michael Macdonald's shop on Knutsford Road was a sad loss when it closed down many years ago, it will be good to have a dedicated greengrocer's shop again.
Jo Stringfellow Tuesday, 8th Nov, 2011 4:55 pm
Fantastic news !! Good Luck Steve, looking forward to seeing you in the village !!
Steve Savage Tuesday, 8th Nov, 2011 5:01 pm
Wishing both Steve's all the best in this new venture; hopefully they have managed to secure a rent that will help make the business commercially viable.
Sue Joseph Tuesday, 8th Nov, 2011 6:20 pm
Great news! So good to have a specialist greengrocer again and funnily enough in the same shop where there was a g'grocer when I moved to the village 30years ago. Good luck Steve x 2.
Kate Branagan Tuesday, 8th Nov, 2011 6:47 pm
Excellent - look forward to the opening. Good luck Steve - Used to shop in Alderley Veg years ago.
Alice Newton Tuesday, 8th Nov, 2011 7:03 pm
Good look Steve or the flower man as we like to call him ! we always like to get flowers from him and wish him the best of luck, I know he will get business from Alderley Edge and thank god its not going to be another beauty spa or restaurant.
Allan Brown Tuesday, 8th Nov, 2011 7:42 pm
Delighted, Steve. good decision and our support always... not a bad picture either !!!
Go well and the best of luck
Darren Parkinson Wednesday, 9th Nov, 2011 11:12 am
Great news. Good luck Steve, glad to see good use come of the empty butchers shop!
Terry Bowes Wednesday, 9th Nov, 2011 3:31 pm
Good luck,I'm sure the Fitchetts would be pleased to see their old shop in use for greengrocery again.
Just thank the Lord it's not another bar or cafe!!
Giles Watmough Wednesday, 9th Nov, 2011 4:16 pm
Terry, I shall certainly shop there but Honestly; people run businesses to make money, Bars and Cafés make money in the village, that;'s why they seem to be the only surviving businesses. I personally don't see a problem with that. It's not like we have a weatherspoon's is it? Let's live in the real world shall we? No matter how much we wish things were otherwise.
Fenton Simpson Wednesday, 9th Nov, 2011 6:47 pm
Great news for our high street. Especially as the parish council wants to take away some peoples opportunity to grow their own away ! I hope shop does well as we didn't need two butchers and no greengrocer.
Giles Watmough Wednesday, 9th Nov, 2011 6:55 pm
Do we really need two set galleries? No but cannot possibly allow another bar can we?
Terry Bowes Wednesday, 9th Nov, 2011 9:33 pm
Now then Fen,
When i was but a lad we had 4 butchers shops in the village.
In those days we had a useable village with lots of character and characters,unlike now,characterless and a clone of countless other places.But these changes have been going on forever,i can remember when all the useable,affordable normal shops were closing and the village suddenly became full of antique shops.So maybe what goes round comes round.Only problem is you won't get the transient population coming in to frequent fruit shops etc,before they depart from whence they came!!
Fenton Simpson Thursday, 10th Nov, 2011 9:14 am
Terry didn't the village need 4 butchers when you were a lad to cope with all the wooly mamorth roaming the tundra ?
Steve Savage Thursday, 10th Nov, 2011 9:27 am
We currently have 3 supermarkets selling fruit and veg, as well as Horseshoe Farm and Percy's offering a small selection. I really hope that this venture is a success, however it's a tall order I fear. A lot of people shop after work...will they be open late to cater for this?
Alan Brough Thursday, 10th Nov, 2011 11:25 pm
This is great news and it's good to see someone striking back against the dominance of the supermarkets and their overpriced, poor quality fruit and veg (loot and wedge!)