Post office opens inside revamped food store

A village post office is welcoming customers into its new, purpose-built home inside a revamped Lincolnshire Co-op store.

Saxilby Food Store on High Street has benefited from a £250,000 refit including more chilled and hot food to go and a deli to go range joining the existing instore bakery.

The work also created a dedicated space for Saxilby Post Office, which has now moved across and fully reopened inside the food store.

The post office closed on Thursday 30th March at its old premises at 39 High Street and reopened inside Saxilby Food Store on 9am on Wednesday 5th April.

Interim Manager Ruth Bahr said: “It is part of Saxilby and a lifeline for a lot of people – I think it is great for the village that it has remained here.

“Many people want the familiarity of the service they have always used and the same friendly faces when they come in. We offer all of the same services as before.”

Customer Jacky Potter, from Saxilby, said: "We couldn't do without it. There are a lot of pensioners who live around here and haven't got a way of getting elsewhere."

Staff members at Saxilby Post Office moved across with the branch, apart from Postmistress Kate Elkington who will run a retail shop called The Willow Tree in its old building.

Opening times for the post office have increased as a result of the move, and selected post office products and services will be available from the food store tills for nearly 40 hours outside of Saxilby Post Office’s opening times.