News / Tagon re-opens as Ryan fulfils lifelong dream
AN AWARD-winning Shetland country shop will open its doors on Wednesday morning under new ownership.
Tagon Stores, in the village of Voe, has just been taken over by young couple Ryan and Lesley Thomson, from Wadbister.
Twenty-nine year old Ryan, originally from Unst, said running his own shop was like a dream coming true.
He has traded a secure position as sales manager with local wholesalers Hughson Brothers for a future of long hours plus the added responsibility of employing 13 staff.
“I always wanted a country shop, even as a small boy at school I was playing shop,” he said. “We both felt the time was right to make the move.
“I certainly would describe it as a plunge, and there is no question that the job will involve long hours and hard work, and I am prepared to put that in.”
Lesley added she felt “enthusiastic and nervous” at the same time – while wholeheartedly supporting her husband’s dream.
Tagon Stores came on the market earlier this year after previous owners Scott and Phoebe Preston decided to sell up and move back to their native Lancaster to be nearer their elderly parents.
Ryan firmly believes there is a bright future for Shetland’s 30 or so country shops despite the fact that most people do their main shopping in Lerwick’s two supermarkets.
He said customers would initially see very little change. “I just wanted to say thanks to Scott and Phoebe who have gone over and above what was required of them to ensure as smooth a transaction as possible,” he said.
“They’ve done an excellent job rebuilding the shop and we look forward to building on their excellent work.
“We are here for the Voe community and will continue to make sure that Voe has a thriving little shop the community can be proud of.”
However, with Lesley looking after the couple’s three young boys there is a need to recruit one or two new part-timers to cover for Phoebe’s hours.
Long-term, Ryan said he was hoping to be able to develop an online section as well as incorporating the handmade crafts his wife markets under the Jolie brand.
Wishing the new owners all the best for the future, the Prestons said they would spend the summer in Shetland visiting all the places they had not managed to go to while running the shop before moving south.
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