Peasmarsh was the birthplace of the well known local supermarket chain Jempsons. That was back in 1935 when George Thomas Jempson acquired the first bakery shop and today, they have grown to be one of the largest family owned supermarkets in the United Kingdom. Their Peasmarsh bakery now produces 20 different varieties of bread and thousands of loaves each week, made daily and distributed throughout their ever increasing numer of outlets.
Talking of which, perhaps Western Road in Bexhill should be renamed Baker Street as Jempsons now have not one but two outlets in the same street. The former Co-op supermarket was acquired recently and following extensive refurbishment, opened on July 1 as Jempsons Local at 22-26 Western Road, it's the seventh store in East Sussex.
The 4,500 square foot retail space offers customers locally sourced products including meat, market-garden produce and confectionery, an ATM is an extra advantage and the majority of staff are former Co-op employees working with additional new recruits.
Just along the road at No 9 Western Road, (their second Bexhill shop) is Jempsons Cafe which complements their existing network of similar outlets serving hot and cold drinks, confectionary and bakery ranges from their own in house bakery in Peasmarsh.
For shoppers who join the company's SavaClub scheme, Jempsons offers its members additional discounts and as an extra bonus has just issued four, £5 off vouchers totalling £20 for weekly purchases in excess of £30 for the month of August.
Their expansion also includes their highly successful green initiative, namely the zero waste refill hub where shoppers reuse their containers and refill with nuts, seeds, oat milk, coffee, oils and vinegars. Click and collect is also now available and the Peasmarsh superstore is having a much needed refit. It's all happening for Jempsons this year, more detail is available in their regular "Talking Shop" leaflet which makes interesting reading.
This is yet another local business riding the storm and expanding, despite difficult trading conditions and another positive success story proving once again that the light at the end of the tunnel is not only there but getting brighter all the time.
