STOKE by Nayland Hotel, set in the rolling countryside on the Essex Suffolk border, was one of the leading venues for events ranging from conferences to black tie balls.

But then the coronavirus pandemic hit sweeping away everything in its path.

The hotel, along with its golf course, spa and lodges, was forced to close temporarily whilst Government lockdown measures were put into place.

But that did not mean the business stopped.

The family run leisure and farming firm has now set up a community grocery hub to help residents get every day essentials despite the lockdown.

To meet growing demand in the surrounding area, the business’s existing Pippin Shop has been adapted to offer essential supplies to villagers and those living nearby.

Owners, the Peake family, are no strangers to a crisis as they’ve been growing apples and other fruit from neighbouring Boxford Farms for more than 80 years.

Their resilience and resourcefulness has seen them through many difficult periods, including the Second World War.

Susanna Rendell, managing director of Stoke by Nayland Hotel, said: “Our Pippin food store has been launched at very short notice to meet an urgent local demand.

“As a family we have been living and farming in this community since the late 1930s and we feel that if we have the staff and practical resources, it is a service that we would really like to offer to our community - and particularly to our elderly and vulnerable residents.

“No-one knows how many weeks or months this crisis will last, but we aim to provide this service for as long as it is needed.”

Open seven days a week, from 7am to 7pm, the Pippin Food Store is being run by hotel staff and will offer fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy produce, meat and fish from the business’ wholesalers as well as range of household items, with new stock arriving every couple of days.

The Peake family’s home-grown asparagus, rhubarb and famous apples are for sale and strawberries, raspberries and cherries will be available once they are in season.

Award-winning executive head chef James Barber and his team, who normally work in the hotel’s Lakes Restaurant, have been turning their hand to more practical fare.

They have been busy creating a range of frozen ready meals for residents to buy and store including savory favourites as well as Boxford Farms fruit crumbles and even afternoon tea inside a box.

For more information about Pippin Food Stores, visit stokebynayland.com/store.

Boxford Farms will also be recruiting fruit pickers for its Ardleigh and Boxford farms in the near future.

If you are interested, email work@bsfarms.co.uk or visit boxfordfarms.com.

  • THE Peake family along with hundreds of Essex businesses, will need our support to see them through this difficult period of history.

This is why the Gazette has launched its Backing Essex Business campaign.

We pledge to back our local, independent and family-run businesses, and we are calling on our readers to join us.

Get behind us by using #BackingEssexbusiness to showcase a local firm which has gone above and beyond, or tell us about the ways your business is coping.

To contact us, email gazette.newsdesk@ newsquest.co.uk.