Ruddington is welcoming another unique, local business to the village centre – with the arrival of The Bottle Top this Friday, May 10th.
You’ll find it at 2, High Street in the premises previously occupied by the legendary Thomas’s Greengrocers for over sixty years before its sad and sudden closure last year. As we revealed back in February, husband and wife team Anthony and Alex Preston (pictured above with their eldest daughter Iris) are bringing this famous shop back to life with a range of products not previously available in our village. In addition to it now being an off-licence, The Bottle Top also heralds the return of a selection of fresh fruit and vegetables without all the plastic packaging, alongside other eco-friendly products and initiatives.
Alex says: “I guess the best way to describe us is a little bit like a farm shop but without all the meat and cheese! So we have a big range of craft beer, which is Anthony’s thing, along with some ciders and some nice premium spirits – a few of which are brewed in Nottingham. We have fresh fruit and veg – all the basic staples you’d expect – and a “zero waste station”. With that you can weigh out all your own grains and rice to try and combat food waste but also reduce plastic and anything that can’t be reused or recycled.” Continuing their recycling theme, the shop will also soon be a drop-off point for the new Ruddington Children’s Clothing Library.
Alex emphasises they’re keen to stock other locally produced food, whenever possible, too: “We’ve got some local honey, some local jams, sauces and coffees – and we’ll be trying to expand that all the time as well. We wanted to bring things into Ruddington you’d normally have to travel into town for. We’ll have monthly tasting sessions, too, to try to get some life into the shop and into the village.”
Former brewery area manager Anthony reveals that The Bottle Top will temporarily also be transforming into a ‘micro-bar’ during this year’s Ruddington Beer Festival: “Over the four days, noon until 9pm, we will be installing chairs and tables and offering draft craft ale! There’ll be two different types per day – so eight different draft craft ales altogether during RuddFest, including some Nottingham ones. Craft beers are something I’ve enjoyed for years – collecting all the different types of cans and bottles – before turning my hobby into a job where I have the pleasure of introducing all these to Ruddington!”
After the grand opening this Friday at 9am, The Bottle Top will be open Tuesday to Thursday from 9am to 5pm, and from 9am all the way through to 9pm on Friday and Saturday nights! Also look out for Alex and Anthony’s stall at Ruddington Village Market – on the first Saturday morning of every month.
