Before I moved to Norfolk I'd never been to ‘a store’, of course I had been to endless village shops to buy a can of coke or a chocolate bar but I'd never been to such beautifully curated places as the stores that line the North Norfolk Coast. A store is so much more than a village shop, it is a place to buy gifts, a place to get a great cup of coffee, a place to get local produce to make a delicious meal - and there isn’t a frozen fish finger in sight at most of them!
I have a couple of favourites that are a must visit. Whether you are here on holiday or live here, heading to a store will never be as quick as nipping to the shop because you cannot help but look around and come out with so much more than the loaf of bread you went in for.
First up and in my opinion, the Queen of Stores is @stiffkeystores, sitting on the Norfolk Coast road, there are always cars outside, come rain or shine regardless of the day of the week - a sign of a must visit place. They have a beautiful barn full of homeware, most of which you will want to keep for yourself even if you have it in mind as a gift for someone else. They have a gorgeous little garden for you to enjoy a cup of their delicious coffee and a slice of cake from @wellybootbakery. As well as great coffee and cake they have some lovely local produce, some interesting wines, some great frozen food, including @brickpizza_norwich, a great dinner option when you just can’t be bothered.
Just down the road in the beautiful town of Salthouse, we have the aptly named @SalthouseStore. First off, the setting! Painted a beautiful blue with vivid hollyhock’s outside and a view across the marshes, this store oozes charm. Step inside to find a beautiful section of cool cards, great books, fun kids toys on the right, fresh and local produce on the left and brilliant coffee and bread at the back, what more do you need? I would highly recommend grabbing a coffee and some cake and wondering through the marshes to the pebble beach of Salthouse to watch the world go by.
A perfect afternoon is spent visiting both stores and getting all the supplies you need for an excellent food day.
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