Help Rhubarb, Sussex Village Greengrocer

Where to begin…!

As most of the village knows, the brilliant shop at number 90 hasn’t had any real change in 58 years. It is, in its own way, utterly charming for having been so untouched. However, as we rely on food hygiene for the business there are essential changes that need to be made. 

Over the last 58 years, there have been layer upon layer of lino laid, all mis matched and uneven, all impossible to really clean and the joins are dangerously frayed and often held with tape.

By having operational hot water, commercial fridges and a freezer, a level floor with a single surface, we could look at upgrading the food licensing and providing freshly made smoothies, there would be less food waste which is so much better for the environment. It is clear that there used to be doors that separated the toilet, back room and the storage, these have all been torn down and are in desperate need of repair.

The back room urgently needs to be decorated, and made  hygienic and compliant with environmental health.

The back door is held together with a kind of contraption involving a screwdriver. In order to have valid insurance the door needs replacing to be one that fits and one that has a 5 lever mortise lock.

The front door also requires this type of lock.

The rotten floor joists were known of over 20 years ago but weren’t treated. Instead they were covered with lino which cause severe rotting. This neglect has left large patches of damp, peeling paint which is impossible to clean. This worries us as we would like to be as food safe as we can be. This is something we would address.

In short.

• Make safe the back door
• Make safe the front door
• Make safe the flooring in the back room and shop floor
• Make safe remaining electrics we couldn’t afford to fund
• Redecorate where damp has affected the shop over the last 25 plus years 
• Make the sinks a food safe area with proper hot water
• Reinstall the area dividers that have been removed and deteriorated over the last 58 years, this would ensure hygiene and safety
• Replace the grocer’s trays that are in a state of disrepair and very old plastic
• Replace our old van that has been a Trojan workhorse for the landscaping business but certainly something cleaner for food deliveries would be more suitable 
• About half of our customers are the local elderly population. The shop has been described as a cornerstone of the village, it is clear that is still the place and is key in lowering social isolation. Just keeping it open for the village is reason enough for us!
• Replace the blue carrier bags with an eco friendly alternative. The plastic takes 400-600 years to degrade.