Swallowfield village store reopens under new team
SWALLOWFIELD’S village store has reopened under new owners following a disagreement between its former manager and the parish council.
The general goods shop is now being run by Jasdeep Singh and his wife, Avneet Juneja, and opened its doors on Monday, September 6.
Swallowfield Parish Stores’ former owner, Naresh Kumar, closed the shop on Wednesday, August 18, after a series of discussions about its lease.
Mr Singh and Ms Juneja have since signed a 15-year lease with Swallowfield Parish Council, the shop’s landlord, and Wokingham.
Today understands they plan to launch the Post Office counter soon.
According to Swallowfield Parish Council, Mr Kumar was asked to close the shop after the council made the “reluctant” decision to appoint a new tenant.
In a statement, a spokesperson said: “We appreciate the contribution to the village made by Mr Kumar over the last 13 years, particularly the kindness he has shown to the residents during lockdown.
“The council ultimately came to the view that the long-term future of the village store and Post Office would not lie with Mr Kumar or his son [Raghav Puri].
“We join other members of our community in thanking Mr Kumar and his family for their contribution and commitment towards the people of Swallowfield parish.”
They said the council has done all it can over the last three years to support the long-term future of the store and Post Office.
“Following the events of the last 10 months, we identified new tenants who were willing to work with us to take on the [store] as soon as practicable on a longterm basis,” the spokesperson added.
In a statement published on social media, Mr Kumar said he is proud to see how far the shop has come since he took over in 2008, and thanked residents for their support over the last month.
“I am sincerely sorry that your local village store and Post Office had to shut rather unexpectedly. I can imagine the inconvenience caused to you all,” he said.
“I have looked after this village and its people like my own family. “My family and I are grateful for your support over the past 13 years [and] I do not have enough words to thank you all.”