Roger Snook claims to hold the largest stock of Panama hats in Europe (Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)
“If you can’t get it in Bridport, then you probably don’t need it,” Ian Bark beams, as he proudly shows us round the beloved town where he used to be mayor. While struggling shop after struggling shop closes on high streets up and down the UK, this little market town in Dorset is somehow bucking the trend.
And in an age of the same big brands from Greggs and Costa to Nando’s and McDonald’s seemingly in every town centre from Inverness to Penzance, in little Bridport it is independent businesses in particular that continue to find a way to thrive.
Data shows that out of the 13,500 stores that closed across the UK in 2024, 7,800 were independent businesses. A further 15,000 are projected to shut this year as retailers struggle with increasing costs.
Ian Bark used to be Mayor of Bridport (Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)
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In Bridport, a town located only a mile and a half from the glorious Jurassic Coast, the picture is far more rosy. More than 200 independent shops cater for a population of just over 8,000 – and even the competition that 35 national chains provide hasn’t proved to be detrimental.
At the centre of South Street in the vibrant town centre is Bridport Tourist Information Centre. It’s here on Bucky Doo Square where we meet Councillor Ian Bark who was previously mayor of the town.
“In 1253, the town was given its Market Charter,” he explains. “Before that, King John commissioned Bridport to create as much rope and net as it could for his navy.”
Ever since, Bridport has had a long association with ropemaking, with the first football net, invented by John Brodie in 1889, being made in the town. Wembley’s goal nets used during England’s 1966 World Cup victory were also made in Bridport, as are nets currently used in the Premier League and the Wimbledon tennis tournament.
There are still nine businesses in Bridport that make rope and nets today.
RJ Balson and Son has been operating since 1515 (Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)
Other than an array of alleyways not wide enough for much more than a hardy piece of rope, the first thing that jumps out as we wander down South Street is the sheer number of independent shops. It’s a far cry from so many other UK high streets which seem to have more boarded-up windows than open doors.
Dating back to 1515, RJ Balson and Son is widely regarded as the oldest continuously trading family business in the UK. The butcher’s is one of five businesses in Bridport that existed on VE Day 80 years ago.
It was founded by Robert Balson, who originally rented a market stall in Bridport Shambles, and has since been led by 25 generations of the same family. It is currently owned by Richard Balson who describes it as “more than just a meat seller”.
“We give people a personal experience as we can have chats with them and give them exactly what they want,” he says. “You don’t get that at the bigger supermarkets.”
When you step inside the historic butcher’s, you notice that every corner of the shop pays homage to the Balson family. Mr Balson jokes: “You know the Mary Rose that sunk in 1545? Well it was full of our sausages and meat!”
Richard Payne-Withers owns The Alleyways Antique Centre with his wife (Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)
Some 300 metres up the road is a newly refurbished Waitrose which recently saw its deli counter replaced with a new sushi bar. Meanwhile, Morrisons is braced to close 35 of its meat counters across the UK due to “significant cost increases”.
Mr Balson believes his business, which has survived world wars, the Covid-19 pandemic and flooding over the years, gives a more personal shopping experience than the bigger supermarkets.
“We are a big part of the community and try and do everything to support them,” Mr Balson says.
“Most of the customers are now our friends and we know their names. This means we can give them a personal touch as well as great meat.”
Around the corner from R J Balson is the thriving Art and Vintage Quarter on St Michael’s trading estate. It’s home to The Alleyways Antiques Centre which spans 9,000 square feet and houses 50 independent traders.
The centre has been owned by Richard Payne-Withers and his wife Samantha for the last 18 years. “We’re open seven days a week which encourages everyone else around here to open,” Richard says.
“People just keep wandering around and go to other stores. We have people travel tremendous distances to see us. We had someone yesterday who came all the way from the other side of Sherborne [about a 50-minute drive away].”
Roger Snook founded the Bridport hat festival (Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)
Bridport hosts a popular street market on Wednesdays and Saturdays every week. It takes place in the three main streets – West Street, South Street and East Street – and attracts thousands of people at a time.
Mr Payne-Withers says: “With our twice-weekly market, Saturday it’s just packed and it’s so vibrant. We’ve got so many festivals. There’s hardly a weekend between now and October where there’s not something going on.”
In 2010, the first Bridport Hat Festival was organised by local businessman Roger Snook and attracted about 4,000 visitors. He owns Snooks the Hatters on West Street and claims to hold the largest stock of panama hats in Europe.
The business was founded in 1896 when it originally focused on gentlemen’s outfits. Mr Snook, who is now the third generation of his family to own the shop, saw the company was struggling in the late 1980s and early 1990s so shifted the focus to headwear.
Snooks the Hatters has since sold products to AC/DC, Kate Moss and comedian Mark Steel. The team also helped dress Barack Obama and Del Boy at Madame Tussauds.
“People find there’s a better guarantee of fitting if they come in and buy in the store,” Mr Snook says. “So many people buy hats online and they don’t fit so they have to send them back.”
Luke Gatehouse has operated his carpet business for 40 years (Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)
Mr Snook adds that starting the hat festival is his “daftest idea ever”. He explains: “Everybody was saying the hat is dead so I wanted to bring it back and it worked. We now get people coming from all over the world who want to be a part of it.”
To promote the festival, Mr Snook launched a competition which saw people send in pictures of their best hat. It had a £500 prize and saw entrants from Australia, South Africa and the USA.
Further up West Street is Carpet World which has been managed by Luke Gatehouse for over 40 years. Like other independent businesses across Bridport, it benefits from the unwavering support of the local people.
Mr Gatehouse says: “Bridport is a wonderful place because the people are very loyal. They support local [products] and we try and look after them and produce quality carpet.
“We are British. Everything we sell is British. Although not everyone wants to hear that, that’s what I like to focus on. It takes a long time to build up trust in a small town like this.”
Only about 160 metres separates The Greyhound JD Wetherspoon and The Ropemakers pubs on West Street. Both are able to peacefully co-exist while giving the punters of Bridport something a bit different.
Geraldine Baker holds a number of events at The Ropemakers pub (Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)
“We’re a community pub really. We are very keen on putting events on that help the local community,” says Ropemakers landlady Geraldine Baker. “We do a lot of live music and quiz nights. As you can see this morning, we’ve got various groups that come in for coffee. There’s a choir down there and there’s a Spanish group down there.”
The pub, which served about 120 lunches over the recent Easter weekend, prides itself on using local suppliers. Mrs Baker believes this is what sets its apart from the local Wetherspoon and creates a loyal customer base.
She explains: “We try and use local suppliers as much as possible. For instance the Dorset Coffee Company. We have a map in the pub of all our local suppliers. At first it was supposed to be a map of Dorset, but it turned out being a map of Bridport!
“You can’t just stand by your door and expect people to come in. We try and give people a reason to come in.”
Throughout our visit, one message is continuously repeated if other towns want to mimic what’s working so well in Bridport. Each independent shop needs to do just one thing and do it well. The owner of Bridport Lighting, Ann Griffiths, agrees that being a “specialist shop” is the secret to her success.
Ann Griffiths says that Bridport benefits from its businesses specialising in specific products (Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)
She explains: “If you wonder why independent shops do so well in Bridport, it’s because we each have something different to offer. Rather than just your same old shops.
“I think being a specialist shop like this, we know our product. Lighting is what we do.”
Mrs Griffiths is just the third owner of the shop which has traded for around 40 years.
Unlike so many other businesses across the UK, the shop does not sell online. Instead it focuses on knowing its products and building customer relationships.
You never know, it might just be something that catches on.
