Oxfordshire village shop and cafe finalist in national award

Kirtlington Community Shop and Cafe is currently under construction, after a community share offer running since 2020 raised the funds for the purpose-built business in the village west of Bicester.

Already the project is gaining recognition, as it has been shortlisted as a finalist for the Rural Community Business Awards 2026.

READ MORE: Oxford congestion charge hits hospitality hardest, survey shows

The annual awards, sponsored by Lands Improvement and hosted by Woodstock-based charity Plunkett UK, have named the rural businesses in the ‘One To Watch’ category.

Construction of Kirtlington Community Shop and Cafe is currently underway (Image: Amanda Deadman Photography)

Celia Hawkesworth, chair of the management committee for the new shop, said: “We’re thrilled to be one of the finalists in the ‘One To Watch’ category.

“We’ve been working hard on this project since 2020, and it’s an honour to be recognised alongside the best community-owned businesses when we’ve barely got started.

“Exciting times are ahead as we work towards opening our new shop and cafe later in the summer.”

Construction is underway at Kirtlington Community Shop and Cafe (Image: Amanda Deadman Photography)

Locals came together after the village’s shop closed in 2020, and since then successfully raised £233,500 towards the £275,000 target funds needed for the project.

This includes £180,000 raised through a community share offer, meaning villagers have personally invested in the scheme.

READ MORE: Police at ‘unauthorised encampment’ of caravans in Oxford park

A ground-breaking ceremony was held on April 10 this year to mark the beginning of construction of the much-wanted community shop and cafe.

The ground-breaking event of Kirtlington Community Shop and Cafe in April (Image: Amanda Deadman Photography)

The new shop and cafe, designed to bring services ‘back to the heart of the community’, will be housed in a purpose-built, energy-efficient building next to the village hall.

Plunkett UK, a national charity which supports people in rural areas to set up and run a wide range of businesses in community ownership, provided the village group with ‘invaluable’ advice, according to the committee chair.

The charity’s vision is to create resilient, thriving and inclusive rural communities by extending the number of democratic, community-owned business from the more than 850 already operating in the UK.

Construction is underway at Kirtlington Community Shop and Cafe (Image: Amanda Deadman Photography)

Its rural community business awards celebrates businesses that contribute to their areas across nine different categories, from the ‘going green’ award to ‘team spirit’ and ‘young person’.

READ MORE: Listed village pub near Banbury up for sale after 13 years

Sarah Benn, Relationships Team Leader at Plunkett UK, said: “It has been inspiring to see so many people nominate their local community-owned businesses, truly emphasising the significant role they play in their communities.

“We celebrate the considerable impact each one is making it its local area and we are looking forward to next month’s awards event when the winners are announced.”

The award ceremony will take place at The Royal Society of Chemistry in London on Thursday, July 2.

The Kirtlington Community Shop and Cafe is expected to open later in the summer.