Humbie Hub crowned Scotland's best village shop and Post Office

Morag Taylor was joined by colleagues Frankie Bell, Heather Christie and Freya Lawrie in toasting the success of the Humbie Hub at the Scottish Countryside Alliance Awards last month.

The awards, dubbed the ‘Rural Oscars’, are a celebration of British food and farming, enterprise and heritage through small hard-working businesses.

The Humbie Hub was crowned champion for Scotland in the Village Shop & Post Office category and will go on to fly the flag for Scotland at a British ceremony later this year.

The Hub contains a village shop, Post Office and cafe with “community at its heart”.

The premises are also home to a holiday flat, therapy room, tech shed and studio and are used to host exhibitions and gigs.

Humbie Hub were celebrating awards success

Morag, who has been manager and director since the hub was created in September 2013, said: “We just totally did not expect it.

“We heard the runner-up and all about them and thought we could not compete with that.

“Then, out we came as the winner and we were just very emotional.

“All of us were delighted – gobsmacked.”

The awards, now in their 16th year, are driven by public nomination and voting, offering customers the chance to say why their favourite businesses are worthy of national acclaim.

News of the Humbie Hub being in the running for the award, which celebrates the important role village shops play in rural communities, was “shared and shared and shared” on social media.

Morag was delighted with the awards success, which took place at National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh.

She said: “We are just a small hamlet in the far corner of East Lothian, which borders the Scottish Borders and Midlothian.

“I have lived here since the age of four.

“I have grown up with people saying: ‘Humbie, where’s Humbie?’

“It is quite an honour to think this little business in the middle of a very small village has achieved this.”

Humbie Hub will now head to the House of Lords in London in May, when it will face competition from across the UK, as it aims for the UK title of ‘Village Shop & Post Office Champion’.

Morag praised the efforts of all involved at the business, which is owned by Patrick and Linda Flockhart.

It was purchased and created with the ethos of saving the village shop and Post Office, as well as creating a meeting place for the community and beyond.

Morag added: “It is a whole team.

“It is all about the team and working together to provide for every part of the business to make it a success.”

Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, visited the business when he learned of its nomination.

He was delighted with its success and wished the team well at the national finals.

He said: “Humbie Hub is a shining examples of community spirit in action and showcases exactly what East Lothian has to offer for locals and tourists alike.

“I enjoyed hearing about why they had made it to the final.

“They are a very deserving winner, offering a friendly and safe space for the community, and as we have seen in recent years with the pandemic, the importance of this cannot be underestimated.

“I wish them every success in the overall finals in London.”

Meanwhile, the Station Yard in Dunbar was one of four finalists in the Pub of the Year category but lost out to The Buccleuch Arms in St Boswells.