Page 92 of The Village Shop for Lonely Hearts

Joe looked surprised but pleased. ‘As it happens, one of our deliveries couldn’t get out, so I’ve got some milk going spare.’

‘Anything you want to give us would be great,’ said Josh, smiling.

So they headed up to one of the converted barns, where Joe showed him the refrigerated bottles of milk.

‘Look, if these go well, I was wondering whether you’d like to make it a permanent arrangement,’ said Josh. ‘I want to use more local produce and we can’t get more local than your farm.’

Joe beamed. ‘Sounds like a good plan,’ he said and glanced to a nearby fridge. ‘Tell you what, I’ve been dabbling with making cheese. Only Cheddar, nothing fancy, but we’re trying to diversify, make a few extra quid on the side. You know how tight things are these days.’

‘Any cheese would be great as well,’ said Josh.

‘You can taste some, if you’d like.’

Seeing how keen Joe was, Josh took the sliver of cheese that he was offered and tasted it.

‘That’s beautiful,’ he said. ‘Strong but smooth.’ He had been prepared to lie a little bit in case it was bland, but it tasted amazing.

‘We’ve started to sell it online, but it’s early days yet,’ said Joe.

‘I’ll take a box full, if you can spare it,’ Josh offered.

Joe’s face lit up into a smile. ‘Of course.’

So he waited whilst Joe cut and wrapped up differing sizes of the Cheddar.

‘You know,’ said Joe, as he helped pack Josh’s van up with the goods. ‘If you’re thinking about using more local farms, Mark Tonks over on Cedar Lane has also been looking at selling online. His beef is the best that I’ve had. Might be worth a visit.’

‘That sounds great,’ said Josh, shaking his hand. ‘Thanks for the tip. I’ll be in touch.’

In fact, Joe’s advice paid off. Mark the beef farmer had a number of steaks and packets of mince that he could give Josh.

‘This is great,’ said Josh, as he packed some boxes into the back of his van. ‘I’ll let you know how I get on.’

Everyone was going to get paid after the products were sold. Josh was amazed, but the trust between the local people was astounding. And there was a feeling of everyone in it together as Mark then tipped off Josh about the pig farmer in the next village who not only had bacon but also handmade sausages.

Consequently, Josh’s van was loaded once he finally arrived back at the shop late afternoon.

‘What’s all this?’ asked Amber, as he carried in various crates.

‘Fresh, local milk, cheese, bacon, sausages and beef,’ he said, putting a box down on the counter between them.

‘Wow,’ said Amber, peering through the packets.

And she wasn’t the only one showing interest. A couple of customers who had been merely browsing immediately bought some milk and meat. By early evening, Josh had to bring out more supplies of the local food, such was the level of demand.

The rush continued all evening until nightfall, when finally the shop became quiet once more.

‘What a day,’ he declared, sinking down onto a box next to the fire.

‘You won’t believe how much we’ve taken,’ Amber told him, smiling down at him as she stood nearby.

He couldn’t remember seeing the till that full for a long time, if ever. Thank goodness he’d started the contactless payment system only a few days previously. Now more than before, they needed customers to have a choice on how to pay.

‘Everyone loves the local produce,’ carried on Amber. ‘We’ve had great feedback. All positive. Oh and a couple of people were asking about potatoes and fruit. Nobody can make it out of the village and I think they’re running a bit low.’

‘I had an idea to source some fruit and vegetable farmers tomorrow,’ he told her.

‘Good,’ she said, sounding pleased. ‘And I had a little idea as well.’