Medusa Apothecary wins Telegraph Best Small Shops Award!
Tuesday, February 28th, 2012
Ahh awards season – don’t you just love it? The red carpets are out, gowns and tuxedos are being dusted down, trophies are being polished and speeches prepared. We had the Brits and the Oscars last week, and the Grammys the week before, but the ceremony we were really interested in was the Telegraph Best Small Shops in Britain Awards.
These are the annual awards (now in their sixth year) run by the broadsheet newspaper to find the UK’s best independent shops. Held in Mayfair, the ceremony was attended by Mary Portas as well as the best of Britain’s high street retailers. After beginning the competition with a public vote to find the best shop in each category, the most popular were put on a shortlist and then visited by Telegraph judges to decide on the overall winner.
Beating stiff competition from a host of very worthy and unique businesses, our very own Medusa Apothecary scooped the ‘Best for Health and Beauty’ award. The judges said they loved the welcoming atmosphere, well-curated stock and passionate staff. They were also wowed by the shops setting, in a creaky old Georgian shop, which they felt really added to the overall charm. It was described by the judges as ‘a sparkly little jewel in Dorchester’s main street’ and ‘a dazzling beauty destination’.
It’s a fantastic achievement for the Dorchester High Street shop, run by Scott Duncan and Dean Newton since 2006. Their stated mission was to bring ‘city-based premium product ranges within reach of the West Country community’ and re-introduce ‘the sheer pampering and pleasurable experience of shopping’.
We think they’ve succeeded admirably, and the Telegraph Award shows that this opinion is shared by people far and wide. Mary Portas explained that ‘these awards give the cream of the crop the recognition they deserve’, and from our perspective that is the most important thing.
We all know how fantastic Dorchester’s independent businesses are, and it’s wonderful to see this being recognised and awarded by those outside the town, including even national newspapers.
