A renowned Llandrindod Wells business with family at its heart is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Van's Good Food Shop is celebrating 50 years of business in the town this month.

Van Powell and his wife Janet opened the first store on Tremont Road back in 1974.

As the business grew, it became clear they needed bigger premises. So, just a few years later, they moved the shop to the Clovelly building on High Street.

But when the current premises came onto the market, Van knew that it would be much better for the business to be situated on the busier main street.

So, in 1981, the shop settled at its current location in the town centre on Middleton Street.

The alternative and health foods shop was known as “that hippy shop” in the early days.

Daughter, Rosie explained: “Before then, Dad had joined together with like-minded friends to form a cooperative to bring whole foods into the area. This is something that wasn't available at the time and was becoming known about through the counter culture and hippy movement of the 60s and 70s.

“They would pool their funds, and dad would go off to London to collect bulk items such as rice, beans, pulses, nuts and spices. Then bring it back to be shared amongst friends.

“After a short stint living in a derelict on the Yorkshire moors, he came back and realised the cooperative had fallen apart in his absence, so he started to run it from his home at the time - the Graig in Llandegley. When people he didn't know started turning up at his doorstep searching for food he decided he better open a shop and make it official, before the tax man came looking for him!”

As the business took off, Van expanded into the wholesale market and ran 'Good Food Distributors' successfully for many years until he sold it around 15 years ago - it became Mintons Good Foods and is still running now - and then returned to the shop.

The shop has always been a family affair. For many years, while Van was running the wholesale side of things, the shop was managed by Rosie’s aunt, Patti Evans, until her retirement.

In 2019, Rosie took over the reins from her dad and has now been running the business for five years.

“After spending a few years down in Brighton after finishing my degree at Sussex, I returned to the area in 2013 and started working in the shop again,” explained Rosie.

“I first officially starting working for the family business when I was 13, although I spent much of my childhood in and around the shop playing 'shop keeper' and 'helping'. I loved messing about with the pricing guns, climbing step ladders, and hiding under the counter as a kid!”

In celebration of the shop’s 50-year anniversary, Rosie has been running a different special offer each week throughout October.

They are also holding a party on Thursday, October 31 from 4:30pm to 6.30pm. There will be samples, treats, drinks, a raffle, speeches, music and entertainment.

“Throughout the month we are be offering a raffle ticket for every shop in store, but there's a catch - you have to come to the party on the 31st!” said Rosie.

“The raffle will be drawn at 6pm - prizes to be confirmed.”

“I will also be donating 10 per cent each of the total daily takings from October 31 to the Mid Powys Youth Theatre and The Heart of Wales Geopark - two local charity groups that are close to my heart,” added Rosie.