Chamber News
Brodie Countryfare wins award in build-up to Christmas as north of Scotland’s best independent retailer
10 December 2024 • Sarah Medcraf
An award win has given Brodie Countryfare a timely boost as the busy Christmas period continues.
The shopping emporium, named independent retailer of the year at the Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Awards, is enjoying its busiest time of the year.
Open seven days a week, with late night shopping on Wednesdays and Thursdays over the festive period, it nowadays employs more than 120 staff and is run by Anna Taylor.
Things have come a long way since Kathleen Duncan, Anna’s mum, founded the business in 1976.
A fraction of its present size, Brodie originally sold produce that had been grown by Kathleen on her farm nearby, plus a very limited array of items from its gift shop.
Although, not long after she began, the only thing Katherine managed to sell during the course of a whole day was a single coffee from its small café.
Anna said: “I think mum wondered about what she’d got herself into at first, but she persevered and continued to work very hard.
“She had a vision that Brodie Countryfare would become a destination where people would like to come and make a day of it. That it would become somewhere where folk could shop in a stress-free environment.”
The business has continued to grow and evolve over the intervening years, both in terms of physical size and the products it has for sale.
It branched out first into women’s fashions, followed by menswear, homeware, plants, stationary, shoes, accessories and much more.
The café has also been turned into a restaurant which does popular afternoon teas and is currently serving Christmas dinners plus turkey melt sandwiches.
Amongst the other Brodie Countryfare favourites at this time of the year are its festive hampers which it both prepares and sorts out delivery.
Anna said: “We like to think we have something to appeal to the whole family.”