Where convenience meets culinary delight

Where convenience meets culinary delight
If you think hot food in convenience stores is just an after-thought, think again. Because in a convenience store in Cornwall, fresh food isn’t just a sideshow, rather it is the main act, the crowd-puller and, the delicious heartbeat of the business. Tucked just minutes from Truro city centre, The Old Dairy – Pydar Stores has mastered something that many in the convenience sector still struggle to get right. This 1,800 sq ft store has turned food to go into food to stay for, all due to gutsy decisions, clever innovation, and good old-fashioned home cooking.
Behind the till and at the centre of the action is a dynamic duo of retailer Judith Smitham and her husband Roger Smitham who have mastered the art of turning their strengths into the store’s signature. Speaking exclusively to Asian Trader, Judith walked us through how once a derelict old site evolved into one of the most talked-about food-to-go destinations in Cornwall. “The Old Dairy was a renovation project completed in 2013. Having run our first store- Trelander Stores & Post Office from 2001, we were looking for a site that would tick all the boxes,” she said.