1. Vale Life : Jun/Jul 201546
l Column: Small World with Robyn Bourne
H
aving recently returned
from a glorious holiday in
Croatia I was reminded
just how easy, and
important, it is to Keep Trade Local.
We stayed in a small,
independent boutique hotel in
Dubrovnik.The hotel bought fish
from the fisherman each day, got
its meat delivered from a farmer
further inland and supported the
local markets by buying fruit
and veg, daily.The food in the
restaurant was fresh, delicious and
actually tasted of something, whilst
being reasonably priced.
On our walk into the city we
saw ‘bookers’ for local tourist
companies, all earning their living
by encouraging you to book with
them for the tourist day trips.
They were polite and friendly and
not pushy. We could have booked
direct with holiday companies, but
how much of this money goes back
into the local economy?
We asked questions and got a
feeling of what we were buying,
as well as paying a lot less than
booking through a UK agent.
One trip we did really
emphasised how much can be done
locally. We booked a day’s cycling
tour with wine tasting. We were
picked up by our guide and off we
went. Journeying to our starting
point the guide stopped a number
of times to allow us to get photos
of some very scenic shots, telling us
about the history of where we were
at the same time.
On arrival we set off on our
bikes to collect from the local
restaurant our lunch (bread made
by them that morning, cheese from
a neighbouring farm and ham that
had been bred and cured by them,
lettuce and tomatoes grown on
site) we then cycled to top up our
water bottles directly from the
wonderfully cold stream.
A few kilometres later we were
cycling through the vineyards that
grew the grapes for the wine we
were yet to taste, as well as figs
and apricots that we were able
to buy in Dubrovnik from market
stalls.The wine was of course
local, and after the cycling, a well
deserved treat.
On our journey home our guide
made a quick stop at the side
of a road to buy us the sweetest
strawberries I have ever tasted,
warm and freshly picked that
morning and sold by the man who
had grown and picked them.
We continued our journey home
with me feeling very virtuous about
all of the exercise that I had just
done and trying to tot up how many
more glasses of the very tasty local
wine it would entitle me to when
we drove past a retail park in the
middle of nowhere with a Lidl. Just
one signpost showing people that
it was even there... the first, and
only, sign of a multinational retailer
during our trip.
Dubrovnik is a thriving and
picturesque city; it is also a busy
sea port and is now party to cruise
liners coming in and out every day.
One day alone last year, so our taxi
driver informed us, there was an
influx of 25,000 people into the
city.
How important is it, therefore,
for the locals to be able to tout
their trade and ensure that they
can make the most of the economic
opportunities that are being
presented to them.
By doing this how many of
us, without even realising it, are
helping support local businesses
and how can we take this idea
home with us at the end of our
holidays, as well as a very tasty
bottle or two of red?
l Robyn Bourne is the
Development Manager for the
Thames Valley region of the
Federation of Small Businesses
supporting 7,500 local members
and helping them lobby on issues
that are of importance to small
businesses. www.fsb.org.uk
RobynBourne
SmallWorld
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