Hebburn Shopkeeper Opens New £150k Store with a Beer Cave

A Hebburn shopkeeper has expanded his small retail empire with a smart new convenience store, the third he now runs across South Tyneside. Yogendran Mutthulingam, known locally as Joe, has officially opened a new Premier store after a significant investment in fitting it out.

A growing local business

Joe already runs the Best-One on Cambridge Avenue in Hebburn, along with a second shop near Jarrow Metro station. His newest store, in the Fellgate area of Jarrow, is the latest step in building up a group of independent convenience stores from his Hebburn base. He spent around £150,000 preparing the roughly 960 sq ft premises and applying the finishing touches, and declared it "fully stocked" and ready for business at its official opening.

What is in store

The new shop has been kitted out with the kind of features that set a modern convenience store apart. It includes a walk-in "beer cave", a glass-fronted refrigeration unit that keeps drinks properly chilled, which alone cost around £16,000. Alongside the everyday groceries, there are bill-payment facilities and a parcel drop-off service, and Joe has also applied for the store to offer Post Office services, all of which make it a genuinely useful hub for its neighbourhood.

Best for:

Joe's original Hebburn shop, the Best-One on Cambridge Avenue, remains a handy neighbourhood store for a top-up shop. You can find it and other local shops in our directory.

Local enterprise

Stories like this are a reminder that independent retail is still very much alive in the area, with local operators investing real money to give their communities well-stocked, well-run shops. From his Hebburn store outwards, Joe has shown how a single convenience store can grow into a small local chain.

The opening was reported by the Shields Gazette. The new store itself is in Jarrow rather than Hebburn, but its owner is a Hebburn businessman whose roots are firmly in the town.