Hopes of Longtown

Hopes of Longtown are a family run, award winning, independent village store and Post Office offering a wide range of services for the local and wider community with a range of produce and household goods available. They purchase locally grown produce, meats, and artisanal goods, not only reducing the carbon footprint associated with long-distance transportation but also supporting local farmers and producers.

We were able to catch up with founder and partner Christine Hope about some of the actions they have taken towards sustainability, and some of the challenges they’ve faced along the way.

What drove you to, in your business, look after the environment, and particularly engage with initiatives like the greener footprints business network?

Back in the day (about 25 years ago), my dissertation focused on rural sustainable development, and local resilience networks really appealed to me—that’s actually what inspired us to start the business. It’s been part of our vision from the beginning.

We got involved in local initiatives and networks because I’m always looking for new solutions and perspectives. Being part of a broader community helps us think differently. When you’re isolated in your own business it can lead to self-doubt or negative thinking, which is not particularly helpful.

Can you tell us about anything specific that you've already taken action on through your sustainability journey, and what the impact has been?

We switched to LED lighting and moved our chiller motors outside to keep the building cooler in summer—hoping to avoid air conditioning. It works for us because our building’s simple and we can open windows and doors, unlike others in more built-up spaces. We made that change about five years ago and checked the equipment ratings at the time.

We’ve just switched to a renewable energy supplier. It was a quick, admin-based change—no equipment or investment needed—just some desk research. Honestly, it’s a super easy win for anyone renewing their electricity contract.

We stopped using plastic bags when the tax came in four years ago. Now we reuse the boxes our goods arrive in. It’s simple but effective—we were spending over £100 a year on plastic bags that just ended up in landfill.

We still generate a lot of cardboard, so recently we started working with a local business that reuses it for heat generation. Even the air-filled plastic packaging from deliveries is now reused by them for packing—great way to avoid waste.

And finally, we’ve learned the value of measuring and monitoring. You don’t need the perfect solution—just start somewhere. A 5% reduction is still progress. We track all product waste and set targets, which helps us keep improving.

What are the main challenges that you've come across? Anything you’ve already gone through, or anything that you're going through at the moment?

Our biggest challenge now is staying profitable so we can keep reinvesting in the business. We’ve done everything we can with what we’ve got, but to move forward—especially with solar—we need three-phase electricity to feed power back to the grid.

I’ve applied for grants, and if I’ve learned anything, it’s to do your homework before you apply. Getting quotes took way longer than I expected—I thought three months would be plenty, but it wasn’t.

The good news is we’ve now got everything lined up and ready to go for next time.

Have your customers given you much feedback on the initiatives that they know about?

We took part in a Small Business Britain sustainability project, and one thing that stuck with me was the idea of green-shouting—sharing what you’re doing, even if it’s not perfect. I used to hold back because I felt our efforts weren’t big enough. We didn’t have thousands of solar panels, we weren’t carbon-neutral, so I thought our small changes weren’t enough. But I’ve realised that even small steps matter, especially when some businesses haven’t started their journey yet.

So that's encouraged us, but we haven't been brilliant at it.

One unexpected benefit has been recruitment. The last few people we hired mentioned our sustainability focus as one of the reasons they applied. It came up in interviews—they’d read about us, even in our church newsletter. It showed them what kind of business we are, and that’s what they wanted to be part of.

What do you see in the future for the store, for next steps?

First thing we need to sort is the electricity setup. Once that’s done, we can start thinking about other improvements on site. One thing we’d love to do is install a rapid EV charger—especially handy for business vehicles that need a quick boost, like in winter when heating and wipers drain the battery. We’re the only place open during the day for miles, so it feels like a natural fit.

Any final thoughts?

We joined the lunchtime hour slots (These are the Greener Footprints Sandwich Sessions available here!) and found them really useful. Even if we couldn’t always act on what was shared, just being part of the conversation helped us get familiar with the language around sustainability—it’s got its own vocabulary, and being exposed to it makes a big difference.

As a small business, we wear all the hats—marketing, finance, HR, sustainability... But for me, sustainability also means being rooted in the community and building local resilience, which applies to everyone. That said, you’ve got to recognise when it’s not your moment to lead. You don’t have to be the only solution. It’s about knowing your strengths and working with others—collaboration is key.