CORN EXCHANGE CRICKHOWELL

Further to our recent announcement regarding the move of Natural Weigh from Unit 1 to the larger Unit 3 of the Corn Exchange, we now have two further announcements.

With effect from 1 August 2020, The Emporium has relocated from Unit 2 to Unit 1. Lindsey Jones, the proprietor of The Emporium said “I was so excited when I found out that Unit 1 would be available as this was the unit I always wanted as its unusual layout makes it ideal for displaying my products. We will try to complete the move as quickly as possible so as not to inconvenience our customers”.

We are also delighted to announce that after a careful assessment of applicants for Unit 2, we have pleasure in welcoming local residents Frank and Sam Ady, who will bring a new dimension to the High Street in the form of a Micro Craft Beer and Cordial Bar which they are confident will be popular with both locals and tourists.

High Streets are facing many challenges at the present time and we are pleased to be able, yet again, to provide the opportunity for another start-up business at the Corn Exchange. Micro Craft Beer and Cordial Bars are gaining popularity and we hope Treebeards will help to increase footfall in the High Street which should benefit everyone. They hope to open up for business on 1 October, subject to completing all the formalities and refurbishments.

On behalf of my fellow directors, as well as our loyal shareholders, I would like to wish Lindsey well in her new shop and to offer Frank and Sam our best wishes for the ongoing success of their new business.

We have included below a press release prepared by Frank and Sam.

Dean Christy
Managing Director
Corn Exchange Crickhowell Ltd

Personal Statement – Treebeards Micro Craft Beer and Cordial Bar

As local residents of Llangattock, Crickhowell we are delighted and very excited to have been given the opportunity by the Corn Exchange, Crickhowell to open our micro craft beer bar, Treebeards.

We sincerely thank the Directors of The Corn Exchange for supporting our new business venture. As new members of this thriving community we have very quickly become aware that Crickhowell is the right place to set up our business.

Our aim is work with local businesses and expand and further enhance the offering of the town by supporting the local community and tourism. We look forward to welcoming you to Treebeards.

Frank and Sam Ady

We are delighted to announce that Natural Weigh will shortly be moving to the newly vacated Unit 3 of the Corn Exchange.

Natural Weight has been a major player in the fight against plastic pollution and, on behalf of my fellow directors as well as our loyal shareholders, I would like to offer Robin and Chloe our best wishes for the ongoing success of their business and to thank them for continuing to support The Corn Exchange. We have included below a press release prepared by Robin and Chloe.

We anticipate that it will take a few weeks for Natural Weigh to fully vacate their existing premises, following which Unit 1 will be available to let.

If anyone is interested in either establishing a new business, or moving their existing business to The Corn Exchange, we would be delighted to hear from them. All enquiries should be sent to info@cornexchangecrickhowell.co.uk or call 07850-731514.

Dean Christy
Managing Director
Corn Exchange Crickhowell Ltd

Natural Weigh – Wales’ first zero waste shop – is GROWING!

On 3rd March 2018, Natural Weigh opened its doors in Crickhowell as Wales’ first zero waste shop. Now, just over two years on, we are growing!

The population of Crickhowell and the surrounding areas has shown an incredible willingness to be part of the solution to plastic pollution and have taken to zero waste shopping in spectacular fashion. This has enabled us to take advantage of the opportunity to expand and we are therefore delighted to announce we are moving to a larger shop.
Our new location is two doors down from our current premises, Unit 3 of the Corn Exchange which has just become vacant. It is wonderful that The Corn Exchange has provided us with the opportunity to grow our business and, most importantly, to stay in Crickhowell, and serve the town that has shown us such fantastic support. This larger shop offers us the chance to expand our current range of organic wholefoods and plastic free lifestyle products as well as to introduce new, exciting ranges of goods.

We are grateful to the Directors of Corn Exchange Crickhowell Ltd who will be supporting us over the next few weeks to make our move to Unit 3 with the minimum of disruption to the continuity of our business.

Natural Weigh will continue to offer a plastic free shopping experience, selling high quality, organic ingredients, to encourage more home cooking. Products at Natural Weigh are sold by weight. Customers bring in their own containers or buy compostable or reusable ones at the shop. They weigh the container, fill it, and weigh it again to get a price for their food. This helps reduce food waste and allows customers to reuse containers, removing the need for single use plastic packaging. We sell dried foods as well as some cleaning products and personal care products, all from bulk dispensers. We also have a growing range of plastic free lifestyle goods, to help people on their zero-waste journey.

Natural Weigh offers people a chance to be part of the solution to the problem of plastic pollution and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to increase our ability to do this by growing our range of goods. We firmly believe that it is everyday life choices which will win the war on plastic.

We are very sad to announce that Darryl and Michelle Odonnell, of Odonnell Bakehouse, have decided to leave the Corn Exchange.

Over a number of months, we have worked very closely with them to try to help them negotiate these unprecedented and challenging times but, after careful deliberation, they have reluctantly decided that it would be in their best interest if they were to leave the Corn Exchange in order to concentrate on expanding the popular mobile and events side of the business. We understand and support their decision, and extend our best wishes for the future.

We have included below a press release prepared by Darryl and Michelle

Unit 3 of the Corn Exchange will now be marketed and we will provide further updates in due course.

Dean Christy
Managing Director
Corn Exchange Crickhowell Ltd

Odonnell Bakehouse Press Release

At the end of 2019 exciting developments in the corporate and wedding events side of our business also led to significant opportunities in the areas of street food, pop-ups and festivals, a direction we were looking forward to exploring further, whilst continuing to grow our existing venture at The Corn Exchange on Crickhowell High Street.

Fast forward to May 2020 and Odonnell Bakehouse, like many other businesses, has had to adapt and change the way we work during what can only be described as the most challenging period most of us have ever experienced. We have been genuinely overwhelmed by the support we have received since starting our free ‘no contact’ delivery service on 18^th March and to our customers, both old and new, we’d like to say a huge thank you.

For the remainder of 2020, however, the future appears more uncertain than we could possibly have imagined.

As a responsible business we have a duty of care for the health, safety and welfare of every person that enters our premises and, having conducted a thorough risk assessment, we have concluded that it is simply not possible for us to trade without compromising the wellbeing of our customers and employees alike. As such it is with a heavy heart that we have taken the decision not to re-open ‘Brunch & Brownies by Odonnell Bakehouse’ and will instead continue to develop a more mobile business model, one that will give us the flexibility to navigate the unpredictable period ahead.

Being a part of The Corn Exchange family and a Crickhowell High Street trader has been a wonderful, invaluable experience and we have been very lucky to have had such amazing customers (of both the two-legged and four-legged varieties), many of whom have become life-long friends. We will miss you all.

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Dean, Peter and their fellow Directors at Corn Exchange Crickhowell Limited for providing us with the opportunity of being part of this fantastic project and for their unwavering support and guidance.  We would also like to wish the future tenants the very best of success in Crickhowell’s wonderful high street.

Do not fear though, we will be permanently offering our free delivery service straight to your door, and once permitted we will be popping up here, there and everywhere with many exciting future projects in the pipeline….follow us on Facebook and Instagram for our weekly updates on our delivery menus 😊

Finally, we would like to thank each and every one of you for your continued support….it really does mean the world to us, especially in these tough times.

Stay safe everyone.

Michelle and Darryl xxx

The following communication was sent to shareholders on 25th March 2020.

Dear Shareholder

The restrictions imposed in order to combat the spread of the coronavirus are having far-reaching effects on all sectors of society. For Corn Exchange Crickhowell Ltd it means that our tenants’ ability to pay rents, both commercial and residential, may be compromised.

Each tenant’s circumstances are different, so we are talking with each one to ascertain how they are affected, what support may be available to them from the Government or other sources, and how we as responsible landlords can assist their causes.

Where necessary, the Directors will make formal agreements with tenants to vary the terms of their leases in a way that is appropriate to their circumstances. The Directors believe these variations are necessary for the benefit of the tenants, the shareholders, and for the Crickhowell High Street, both in the short-term and in the longer term.

The situation is developing by the day as the virus spreads through the country. The Directors will keep all issues under constant review, taking action whenever it is necessary, and will keep shareholders informed as matters progress, and as more detailed information becomes available.

In the meantime, if any shareholders have any questions or suggestions concerning this notice, please do not hesitate to contact us. Keep well and please obey the governments advice concerning the pandemic.

Yours sincerely

The Board of Directors
Corn Exchange Crickhowell Ltd

Please watch this video to find out more about Crickhowell and The Corn Exchange’s WW1 History.

This is the video about our tenants, Natural Weigh, prepared for the Powys Business Awards at which they won the Startup Business of the Year. We are thrilled for them and delighted to have played a part in bringing them to Crickhowell.  Natural WeighTotally Locally Crickhowell

The Directors of Corn Exchange Crickhowell Ltd will be in CRiC this evening from 6pm to 8pm to discuss the annual results of the business informally in lieu of an AGM and to answer any questions. No appointment is necessary.

Crickhowell has been named the “Best Place to Live in Wales” in a UK-wide survey conducted by the Sunday Times. The newspaper highlighted the pride felt by local people for the town and how they had “chased off” plans to turn the former Corn Exchange pub into a national chain supermarket and instead turned it into flats and shops. This week, Corn Exchange Crickhowell Ltd shareholders got a double bonus when the company paid out its first dividend on their investments.
The company’s Managing Director, Dean Christy said: “We are all incredibly proud of our town and its fantastic range of independent and family-run businesses. They are what motivated so many people to invest their own money in The Corn Exchange project and to protect the character of Crickhowell. To see Crickhowell named Best High Street in Britain last year and the Best Place to Live in Wales this year is absolutely fantastic. And to be able to announce a dividend to shareholders this week is even better. It shows that collective community action really does pay, both in terms of publicity, which will bring further trade into town, and with a return for those people who were prepared to back the town by investing.”
The dividend will be paid in June to everyone who invested in Corn Exchange Crickhowell Ltd. The Director’s Annual Report said all three shops in The Corn Exchange had reported “good performance” in the Corn Exchange’s first full year of trading and the flats continue to be very popular.

Dean Christy reacted to the Sunday Times announcement on Radio Wales.