'It's a social thing' - Wellington's Little Green Pantry pays tribute to town's friendly shoppers after scooping award

Keli King, who runs The Little Green Pantry in Crown Street, Wellington scooped a Good2Great ‘start-up champion’ trophy at the Shropshire Business Festival held at the International Centre in Telford earlier this month.

The business employs a team of five staff who run both the shop and external events and has won a range of other awards for its sustainability and innovation.

And owner Keli says a team of the town's businesses working together is helping to put the pride back into "up and coming" Wellington.

"My team and I have worked hard to grow the business and we’re so grateful for the amazing support we’ve received from the community along the way. It's getting busier all the time," she said. 

"We've got a nice community of people that use us regularly and support the shop, they talk to their friends about us and its just gradually growing each year."

Keli started out in 2019 with a number of markets and pop-up events around the county, but eventually settled in Crown Street in Wellington after receiving a grant from Telford and Wrekin Council to move into an empty shop unit two years later.

"I realised I wanted to reuse my plastic waste in my household and at the time back in 2019 the nearest place to shop with zero waste was in Shrewsbury.

"I thought that was a little bit silly really, why wasn't there one in Telford? So I set it up as a pop-up stall, so it was quite casual to start with, but we just did the basics of food stock and some of the cleaning liquids. 

"Every time I did a pop-up stall in Wellington it was the busiest by far of all the towns I went to and I did feel that people wanted me here and made me welcome, so it was an easy decision as to where I wanted to set up."

She bagged the start-up champion award this month, having completed a start-up course provided by Shropshire business and retail consultants Good2Great in 2021.

After four years in the town, Keli says the area is benefitting from a fresh wave of community spirit - supported by a friendly group of local businesses and shoppers working together to improve the High Street.

"In the years since we've been here I do feel as though the community are proud of what's here, there's lots of new people coming to the town who are just discovering us again - maybe people who haven't been here for a long time and they're surprised to see so many independent stores here," she added. 

"The council are putting on lots of events to get new people in as well so it's all sort of working together. The businesses are working better together, communicating and promoting each other which just generates interest and excitement about the town.

"There's still the charity shop element but now it's interspersed with independent unique shops with local owners who really care about the town. People can get to know us as business owners so coming here becomes a bit more of a social thing."