Lerwick town centre

[suuusssiiieee]

Swanson's, Baker Tily, there's a couple more.

 

I would love to see a Dealz on the street, or even a return of the £1 shop in some form, A frozen food centre, to name but a few.

 

Again the street is built in a way that limits what you can achieve without knocking 2 or 3 shops together where possible. Also the steepness of the hill the lanes access is problematic. The street is not fit for modern retailing for these very reasons.

 

The street is very shabby too, so that doesn't look good either. The ghastly Caithness slabs was a total disaster from day one.

[shetlander]

So, what other type of shop or business would you like to see on da street?

 

I definitely think an improved food and drink offering would be a boost - a decent baker, butcher and deli would be a good start. Places that offer cookery demonstrations or classes on the side. A restaurant that better showcases local produce. A couple of pubs that offer grub, an open fire to enjoy a quiet pint in the winter or a beer garden for the few fine days we get in the summer. A 'first Saturday of the month' type craft/food market maybe in the grounds of da Fort or in the TA Hall etc etc. 

 

There's no point in me or any of the rest of us saying what 'should' happen in the street though. If none of us are willing to put our money where our mouth is and set up businesses ourselves, why should we expect anybody else to? 

[shetlander]

Possibly from the notion that sometimes retailers intend to make alterations requiring Planning Permission, will seek Planners' opinions upfront and get knocked back?  Just a thought.

 

Possibly - I've just never been aware that's ever been an issue in the past for any 'national' retailers who've been keen to come here. Any sniff of interest from them and it's the kind of thing the local press tend to pounce on. 

[Ghostrider]

^ The Council 'discouraging' 'outside' business moving on to the street is virtually dead these days, its been on the wane since the 80's, but it was too little too late by then. The most recent example of it in action was probably the planning condition on Tesco (which the Council subsequently cocked up) selling non-food products.

[Property2017]

once the chemist goes I can see a eatery or pub in there perfect location.

[Colin]

I thought that the general idea was to "revitalise" commerce on the street.. 

The last thing(s) that the street would need to encourage " shoppping footfall" is another pub or eatery with hardly enough room to swing a cat..

[Property2017]

Its easily big enough Colin, we have to be realistic in regards to retail with the internet competition, good pubs and eateries attract people, those people buy things in transit its the model of many shopping areas down the road , pie/chips n 6 pints and away shopping you go

[suuusssiiieee]

The fact you can't drop in on a pub in Lerwick and have a sit down pub meal with a pint is a huge gap in the market.

[Property2017]

When I was in town earlier I noticed builders working in the old stage door televradio premises.

 

New shop....Bar.......... I wonder ?

[MuckleJoannie]

It's probably much needed repair work. I heard a few years ago that it needed tens of thousands of work done.

[Ghostrider]

once the chemist goes I can see a eatery or pub in there perfect location.

Note saying it might not work, but..... It would be a brave one that gave it a try.

 

One whisper of 'overprovision' or 'too concentrated' and the Licensing Board would likely become developers enemy no. 1. GIven The Lounge is behin it, and Flint's in front, it would be difficult to argue either whisper was wrong - and it would be surprising if one or both of those neighbouring establishments didn't make an objection at the planning stage.

 

HIstorically it's a bit of an unpredictable area for eateries too, Peter Leisk's was a successful restaurant, but nobody would take it over and keep it going. Tattie Shop seemed to do pretty okay, but where is it now.....same goes for the burger van....Arne had a cafe, but it didn't last long, Monty's seemed to do fine enough, but nobody would touch it to keep it going....Chapel House seemed to have mixed fortunes, and petered out after not really all that long.

 

I think the chemist would made a decent bakery. What the town lacks is a supplier of really fresh top quality bread, and by that I mean, sold still hot, traditionally baked, and traditional ingredients. Bread that when you buy a tea loaf you can easily see and taste that it's colour is there due to the treacle and spice in it, not some dye, and there's too many currants and raisins per slice to count, rather than it being like looking for a needle in a haystack. Sausage Rolls which have at least as much decent sassermaet in them as there is pastry, jam tarts that have jam in them when they're baked, and not so little it's cooked on to the pastry no thicker than pottery glaze......

 

It's not mass market and it would be more expensive, as some folk don't appear to care what the consistency or taste their bread is, as long as it's uber cheap. I don't believe everybody thinks that way though, and I believe the market for really fresh and top quality stuff is big enough it could make a small venture, with maybe a couple of bakers or so working it, selling it over the counter, one that could work. I'd certainly support them anytime I was in the town, it would be a pleasure to avoid having to eat the tasteless or 'funny' tasting stodge which turns up pretending to be bread most days, and I'd happily pay up to 50% more for it, just to be able to get it.

 

THe various country bakers produce a mixed bag, there's some good stuff out there, and some not so good, but unless you live close to one of them availability and freshness become issues as well. The so called bread that comes in the sooth mooth from massive industrialised production, which unfortunately has to be back up for most of us, is a struggle to swallow between consistency and taste(lesseness).

[Colin]

Have never understood why "everything" in Shetland has to have a bar attached and, as GR says, there are more than enough of them on the street already. 

 

Totally agree with the verdict(?) on local bread supplies.  Why not bake your own?  I do, it's easy and, it's light years better than the muck available at Tesco's/Coop etc.  Only downside is you (just) have to eat it the day it's baked..

[Property2017]

Its a decent place where you can get a good budget meal and a pint/drink that people are meaning, something on the style of Ma Cameron's in Aberdeen or the Prince of Wales, Weatherspoons,  there is nothing here that offers that other than the queens hotel or maybe the grand but the hours are restricted.

Edited August 9, 2017 by Property2017

[Lerwick antiques]

I was hearing that a local bakery is put their name down to go in the chemist once they move.

[Colin]

Good news..  Depend on the bakery though and, whether or not they intend to run it as a bar as well...