THE owner of a village store is celebrating after it was crowned the best in the country.

Orford General Store was yesterday named Village Shop and Post Office of the Year by the Countryside Alliance.

Owner Penny Teale, who picked up the honour at the House of Lords, was delighted with the accolade and praised the hard work of her staff. She added: “What the judges were really keen to stress is running a village shop is not only about supporting the local economy, local producers and community but it’s also about being a commercial venture as that’s the key to survival, particularly against the supermarkets.”

Orford General Store boasts a village shop, post office, deli, cafe and butcher’s.

Suffolk Coastal MP Therese Coffey, who attended the awards, whooped with joy when the result was announced. “Penny has done a fantastic job,” she said. “This award is richly deserved and is testimony to the incredible hard work that she continues to put in.”