Falmouth is anything but a sleepy, coastal town. With its busy port and thriving town centre, Anne and Keven at The Cornish Store feel immensely proud to be part of Falmouth’s ever-growing business community.
Approaching their 20th year in 2024, Anne and Keven’s delightful business celebrating all things
Cornish has seen a number of highs, and made it through economical lows, to get to where they
are today.
Falmouth Life caught up with them in their shop, ahead of the busy Christmas season, where they were just beginning to plan this year’s festive hampers - making the perfect Cornish gift for someone special.
But how did The Cornish Store come to be? It all started with Anne and Keven’s newsagent on Killigrew Street. Upon selling the shop in 2003, the pair decided they wanted to remain in Falmouth’s supportive business community, and when the shop space on Arwenack Street became available, they jumped at the chance to be in the centre of town.
Anne said: “We’ve always thought people should realise that there is so much more to Cornwall than pasties, so we opened the shop with the view of providing a range of Cornish products, from sweet treats and St Piran’s themed novelty items, to candles and homewares.”
As many businesses have experienced, there have been some obstacles to overcome since Anne and Keven opened the shop almost 20 years ago.
“When we started in 2004, it was great, and we had some successful years after that,” Anne explained. “But, of course, in 2008 we had the recession, which was really hard, and then in 2020 came Covid. I think something that helped us through those times was our website. During Covid, we did online orders, and so, while we had to close the shop to the public in the lockdowns, we were still in here for hours on end, packing orders and sending them off to customers in the safety of their homes.”
In addition to their online orders, The Cornish Store partnered with Liz, a long-term supplier of dog bandanas and cute pasty decorations, who created St Piran flag and Cornish tartan facemasks. Together, they were able to donate more than £1,000 to Cornwall Hospitals Trust.
Despite the challenges posed by previous recessions and the pandemic, Anne and Keven believe the spirit of Cornwall is greater than ever, and, after a fantastic summer, the pair are looking forward to the future. Anne said: “It’s a tribal kind of thing, and is really important for our heritage. The image of both the Cornish flag and Cornish tartan has grown all over.
“We’ve had a brilliant summer, and we do really well when the university has open days, as parents and students pop in to take something Cornish home with them.”
Keven added: “It’s a great community in general, and the town has a lot of people and businesses that have stayed in the area. Falmouth is a town with more independents than chain shops.”
Aside from its shops and businesses, Falmouth is always the place to be during the summer with its stellar events calendar. Keven is a committee member of the annual Sea Shanty Festival, which this summer saw around 65,000 people make their way into Falmouth for music and entertainment, as well as making the most of the town’s fantastic local eateries and shops.
While the town will be winding down a little over the winter months, Anne and Keven are looking forward to welcoming hoards of shoppers for the Christmas season, and are particularly excited for Falmouth’s Festive Weekend on the 9th and 10th December.
The Cornish Store’s popular hampers are available all year round, and are the perfect gift for a loved one, filled with some lovely treats to enjoy in front of the fire on a chilly winter’s eve.
Anne added: "Christmas is the perfect time to send a Cornish gift to family and loved ones who are away from Cornwall, or as a happy reminder to friends who may have visited during the summer. How else can you say, ‘Nadelik Lowen’?”
The majority of items stocked in The Cornish Store are made in Cornwall and the rest of the UK. They currently stock more than 100 makers, producers and authors, and are always on the lookout for more.
If you are looking for a permanent platform for your products, to be stocked on a regular basis in a busy shop in Falmouth’s town centre, get in touch with Anne and Keven on 01326 315514.
www.thecornishstore.co.uk
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