Wigston Fields News & Deli celebrates its first birthday

The owners of Wigston Fields News & Deli – Pratik & Bee Master – are our Food Heroes of the Year. The couple won the award after transforming their corner shop into a local-food hotspot. Time flies, and on Saturday, March 7, 10am to 3pm, the shop celebrates its first birthday.

For 17 years, the Wigston Fields News & Deli – christened #NotJustACornershop on social media – operated as ‘Masters General Store’. Owned by Jay Master, it was a typical corner shop, stocking the essentials. It was the bread and butter of the neighbourhood.

However, on March 2, 2019, Pratik and Bee – Jay’s son and daughter-in-law – transformed the shop. They retained its identity as a family-run corner shop but added an inspirational range of local, artisan food & drink. This includes Leicestershire wines from Rothley Wine Estate, loaves from Hambleton Bakery and Bisbrooke Artisans, milk from Vine Farm Dairy of Great Dalby and pastries from Choux’tique and Christopher James Delicatessen.

In total, 57 local producers and retailers are now represented.

Pratik says: “The presence of thriving small family businesses is fundamental to community life. We all rely on each other and without the support of likeminded people, Wigston Fields News & Deli would not exist. In particular, Sukhina Garcia of Betty Brown Boutique, creator of the #SupportLeicesterLocal hashtag, has been key.

“Wigston News & Deli embodies the days when the local shop was a community hub where you could pick up a pint of milk and a loaf but also stay for an hour putting the world to rights. It’s almost like therapy.”

Pratik and Bee hope to stock items from 100 local producers by May 2020.

Head to Wigston News & Deli on Saturday March 7 to sample Burleighs Gin, Choux’tique French pastries, Eleri’s Welsh Cakes and, knowing Pratik, a samosa or two! Furthermore, Martin Bros will be there on Sunday March 8 cooking fresh pizzas.

Click here to find out more.

The author:

Matt lives in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. He is passionate about the independent food & drink sector and founded Great Food Club in 2010 after being inspired by local producers near his home town.