SHOWCASING local producers and offering a personal service, a Newport greengrocers has been serving its customers for almost 40 years.

School friends Dennis Clark and Peter Evans took over the greengrocers in Uplands Shops, Rogerstone, in 1973 and have built up a loyal following of customers over the past 38 years.

Mr Clark said: “It was an existing business owned by a lady who had a mouse in the window and we’ve been here ever since.

“The fact of the matter is that people by and large go to supermarkets but we are still surviving. We are all over 60 years of age now but we still enjoy what we do.”

The pair source runner beans, potatoes and tomatoes, flowers and other fruit and vegetables from local farmers and gardeners and have a weekly stall at Caldicot Market on a Saturday.

Mr Clark said although Evans and Clark Greengrocers has been effected by large supermarket chains opening nearby, it has a strong customer base which keeps the business going.

“We have a hard core of customers but it’s mostly the older generation,” he said.

“A lot of the younger people go to places that are open late at night.

“We are extremely lucky as we own the premises so don’t have to pay any rent and we have parking facilities right outside.

“We stock a lot of local produce.

We have farmers and local people who grow things for us and that’s one of the reasons we survive - we have fresh local produce and our products are reasonably priced.”

The costs of repatriation The Argus wants to hear from you. Tell us why you like to buy local. Tell us about your favourite local business and why you use it.

You can give us your recommendations by filling in the form or by going to south walesargus.co.uk/buylocal.

You can also download a support poster from the website.

Over the next few weeks we’ll focus on local independent traders across Gwent and on the environmental benefits of buying local.