“Very Special Day” As Nettlestone’s Popular Vic’s Stores Moves Across Road Under New Ownership 

More than 80 local people turned out today (Friday) for the official opening of the new Vic’s Stores in Nettlestone.

Cllr Dave Adams cut the ribbon to open the new shop, alongside Vic's Stores owners for the past 32 years — Charles and Linda Brading — and new owners. brothers Pranay and Niket Patel.

Speaking at the event, Charles said his dad Vic would be “over the moon” at the new store.

The shop, which has been described as a 'lifeline' by the Nettlestone community, has moved to the old Roadside Inn pub site, which had been empty for almost a decade.

In a tale of community values, Vic’s Stores — which dates back 55 years — was strongly defended by local people when a rival business sought to set up in competition a few years ago.

New owner Pranay Patel explains that his approach to buy out the whole business and move it, along with its staff, across the road - was “out of respect” for the existing owners Charles and Linda.

He says:

“We didn’t want to tread on another independent shop’s toes.

"Nettlestone is an absolutely brilliant community and we’ve had positive feedback from every single person.” 

Charles’ dad Vic started the business as a mobile shop in the early 1960s, and was given permission to open in the front room of his Nettlestone home when the Street Trading Act effectively banned him from operating out of his van. 

His son Charles left school at 14 to work in the shop, taking over at a time when the opening of Tesco wiped out 50 per cent of the business.

He moved it to a 7-day-a-week model and rebuilt the company, playing a crucial role during the pandemic by delivering to more than 80 vulnerable households every other day. 

Charles, alongside his wife Linda, now in their 60s, were looking at ways to reduce their workload when Pranay and Niket offered to buy the business outright.

They won’t be retiring any time soon though and their regular customers are delighted that the couple will be working part-time in the new store.

Charles and Linda Brading said in a joint statement:

“It’s the shop that we’ve always wanted — it's a dream.

"We both feel fantastic that the village is going to be left with a bigger, better, fresher store with a car park.

“We’ve been here for them, we’ve sacrificed some of our life for them, the customers.

"During Covid we were flat-out , seven days a week, because the big stores couldn’t keep up with demand — people remember that, even to this day.”

A member of the Nisa franchise, Vic's Stores has doubled its floorspace, stocking a wide range of products including meat, milk, cheese, confectionary, household items and alcohol.

The new owners say the large fruit and veg section reflects a growing trend across the country for fresh produce.

Included in the offering is hot takeaway food; a range of Co-op branded goods; quality ‘ready meals’ by the popular ‘Cook’ franchise; and a coffee machine.

Vic’s Stores on Nettlestone Green is open seven days a week from 6am to 9pm.