The year is 1793. King George III is on the throne. William Pitt the Younger is Prime Minister. The United Kingdom does not yet exist. Running water and electricity are several decades away. Britain is still frequently at war with France, whilst the British Empire continues its expansion across the world.
Fast forward 230 years. The Empire is long gone and two centuries of technological progress, an industrial revolution, two world wars, 64 prime ministers and nine monarchs have seen Britain change significantly. High streets in towns and cities across the country are unrecognisable from the pre-industrial age, and cars and lorries have replaced the horse and cart as means for transporting goods and services for local people.
Some things however, do not change. Among them, is Penrith’s J and J Graham Grocers and Delicatessen, located in the Market Square and trading continuously since 1793. There can’t be many high streets with such heritage – a 230 year old family-run business that still sells the finest local produce to local people – nestled between national chain cafes, betting shops and discount stores.
The current owners, father and daughter team Alan Reading and Joanne Ashby from Penrith, have run the business for the last 11 years and have slowly changed the variety of what the shop has to offer whilst staying true to their core values.
“Look after your customers, only deal with high quality produce, create and maintain an attractive and welcoming environment, offer reasonable prices. Sometimes the old lessons need to be relearned. It’s not complicated,” explains Alan.
More than 85% of the products available in Graham’s are sourced locally from Cumbria, and over half of everything they sell every day is handmade in the kitchens and bakery above the shop.
“I love looking out of the window across the Market Square, seeing all the people come and go. Graham’s is part of the fabric of the town, it’s an iconic local institution and I am proud to be the current custodian,” said Alan.
“My job is to get people to come into the shop. When people come in, they spend money. I don’t need to be on the shop floor, the team downstairs and in the kitchens are excellent. I steer the ship as best I can, but having such a reliable and dedicated team is very important.”
With meat supplies coming from butchers in Longtown and Corby, coffee from Carlisle, fruit and vegetables from local grocers and all sausage rolls, pies, sandwiches and cakes made daily in the shop, Graham’s offers something that others can’t.
“I know where all of my supplies come from. We have built excellent relationships with a network of local suppliers, and we do not do wholesale, so the benefit of not doing too much is that you will not find this produce and this quality, anywhere else,” said Alan.
Whilst many of the customers are loyal regulars, who come in for cakes, bread, some lunch or a jar of Cumbrian chutney, Alan estimates that more than a quarter of all customers are visitors to Penrith.
Balancing tradition with new technology is another way Alan and Joanne have been able to grow the business – with turnover increasing by approximately 8% each year since 2011.
“We embrace modern technology. You can still hold on to your traditional values whilst embracing the future,” explains Alan, who has developed a mobile phone application for the business.
People can order their lunch and customise their choices however they like, with no queues and a 10% discount on every order made through the app.
Starting his career as a market trader after leaving school, Alan has since worked in a variety of roles, with broad experience across the business to business, hospitality and retail sectors, including many years as a property manager for Cumbrian Cottages.
“I’ve always had a bit of entrepreneurial spirit. When I got the chance in my late 50’s to take on this iconic local business, I jumped at it.
“Joanne started working here when she was still at school and became the manager at just 21, so I knew the previous owners and just always felt a connection to the place, and I knew that me and Joanne could bring something new to the business. We’re both very proud to be the current custodians of Graham’s, it’s a special place for us and for Penrith,” said Alan.
One of the first things Alan and Joanne did when they took over was changing the layout of the shop, returning the stained glass windows to their former glory, making more room for products to be more visible, more space for customers to walk around and decluttering the lower windows so that customers can see right through from outside.
“It’s all about evolution, not revolution, trying new things and adapting accordingly, it’s trial and error,” said Alan.
The continued success of Graham’s has not been without its challenges. With overheads for energy and water rates increasing by as much as 50%, Alan and Joanne have invested in improved equipment to keep costs down. Installing LED lighting and new energy efficient freezers and air conditioning systems has helped cut their bills by 15% in the last year.
“During lockdown we had to diversify. We applied for the government grants and furloughed our staff, then me and Joanne went and traded on the street, doing all the baking, packaging and labelling ourselves and taking it out to the people. It brought me full circle back to my market trading days,” said Alan.
But what about the future? Will Graham’s out-live the likes of Greggs and Costa? Afterall, it’s been around significantly longer.
“I’d love nothing more than for Graham’s to be here in another 230 years and I’m just very proud to have played a small role in its history. The independence of running your own business in a community you love living in and working for is a fantastic feeling,” said Alan.
Any business that has been trading for 230 years surely knows a thing or two about how to succeed and overcome challenges.
“Be open minded, be prepared to learn something new every day, constantly evolve with a simple message and make sure you know the law, it will help you turn problems into advantages,” said Alan.
