Get to Know Us A Little Better
Simon Cooper and Richard Sellars, who were both born in Winchester and grew up in the city, worked as telegram boys when they were 16 years old. They became rural postmen two years later, covering villages from Stockbridge to Micheldever, and Alresford to Owslebury. After a stint doing gardening and house maintenance, a complete change of career lay ahead – still maintaining strong local ties.
In 1989 Twyford Stores came up for sale and the partnership was formed. Simon and Richard weren’t afraid of hard work, and were prepared to toil from dawn until dusk. They already knew most of their customers, who supported the business in droves, and the result of all those years of effort can be seen in Twyford High Street today.
While the Twyford Stores side of the business grew, the cellar provided the perfect opportunity for expansion. A coffee shop and daytime restaurant opened in Spring 2003, and the Bean Below evening venue opened in 2006.
The hairdressing salon on the top floor is run by Ian James. The talented Mr James doubles as an artiste/entertainer in the restaurant on selected evenings.
More than 25 people work in the building including the Post Office, Twyford Stores, hair salon and Bean Below restaurant.
Simon and Richard are passionate about providing a local, quality service. They visit food fairs in pursuit of new and interesting products, which you will see appearing on the shelves of Twyford Stores.
As you may have read elsewhere on the site, the owners work closely with Hampshire Fair to ensure the finest local produce and service. This quality is reflected throughout the business and, with expansion plans underway, Twyford Stores will remain firmly on the Hampshire map for many years to come.