David's Shop (formerly Hope for the Best, David's, Leyla's and Wylde's Home Farm Fayre) is a farmer's shop located on Church Lane and attached Farrers Barn. The shop is currently owned by Eric Pollard
History[]
Prior to 2009, the shop and adjacent building was a barn. Rodney Blackstock set up an antique shop in the barn at one point but it was eventually closed.
The Wylde family bought and converted the barn into a shop and living area in 2009, opening the shop under the name Wylde's Home Farm Fayre. They employed Doug Potts and Leyla Harding as co-managers. The shop was only open a few days when delivery man Rodney accidentally left the handbrake off the van and it rolled down the road and crashed into the front of the shop, trapping Doug, Leyla and Ryan Lamb. The shop reopened again a few weeks later. Leyla stole £250 from the petty cash to buy new shoes in a sale. Nathan Wylde discovered the theft and covered the money so long as Leyla paid it back. Rodney's daughter Nicola King went in to labour in the shop after locking herself in.
Leyla and her boyfriend David Metcalfe bought the shop in 2011 and renamed it Leyla's. After David and Leyla split up, David acquired the shop and renamed it David's. In April 2014, David's pregnant ex-girlfriend Priya Sharma went into labour in the shop in front of his wife Alicia.
In June 2015, David sold the shop to Carly Hope after making the decision to emigrate to Portugal with Alicia. Carly renamed the shop Hope for the Best, but had little interest in running the produce, even showing up drunk to the unveiling. A burst pipe flooded the shop and ruined the merchandise; making matters worse, she'd forgotten to pay the insurance. She and Ross Barton robbed a truck to get the cash for repairs. When a guilt-ridden Carly told her father Bob Hope that she'd obtained the money to buy the shop fraudulently, he told his wife Brenda Walker, who reported them to the cops. After the police discovered the fraud, Carly went on the run and the shop remained closed.
In September 2015 David bought the shop back at auction at a cut-price after making the decision to remain in the village. The night before the shop was to be re-opened, David's father Eric Pollard trashed the shop in a grief-induced rampage. David eventually reopened the shop a few weeks later with a new deli bar and gave Carly a job to help her repay him.
In 2021, the shop debuted a new delivery bike in a bid to be more environmentally friendly. From October Jacob Gallagher managed the store while David was away in Portugal, during this time Jacob hired Kerry Wyatt for extra help.
Staff[]
Current Staff[]
- Jacob Gallagher - Shop Assistant (2015-present)
- Tracy Metcalfe - Shop Assistant (2015-2018, 2023-present)
- Kerry Wyatt - Shop Assistant (2021-present)
- Bear Wolf - Delivery Driver (2022-present)
- Eric Pollard - Cover (2010-2023), Owner (2023-present)
Former Staff[]
- Natasha & Mark Wylde - Owners (2009-2010)
- Leyla Harding - Shop Manager (2009-2010), Owner (2010-2011), Cover (2016-2018)
- Doug Potts - Shop Assistant (2009-2010)
- Rodney Blackstock - Delivery Man (2009-2010)
- Victoria Sugden - Shop Assistant (2011, 2012)
- Holly Barton - Shop Assistant (2011)
- Alicia Metcalfe - Shop Assistant (2012-2015)
- Lachlan White - Shop Assistant (2015)
- Carly Hope - Owner (2015), Shop Assistant (2015-2017)
- Frank Clayton - Shop Assistant (2016-2018)
- Samson Dingle - Shop Assistant (2022)
- Chloe Harris - Shop Assistant (2022-2023)
- Amy Wyatt - Shop Assistant (2011, 2019-2022)
- Matty Barton - Shop Assistant (2018-2022)
- David Metcalfe - Owner (2010-2015, 2015-2023), Manager (2023)