A Year In Business

Owned and managed by the husband and wife team, Doug and Louise Smith, the Jug & Bottle is a specialist off-licence and delicatessen, which has won several awards for the variety and quality of its products.

In September 2007, the shop finally moved into the renovated Old Village School in the heart of the Village. This was the culmination of a refurbishment programme which started in the Spring of 2006 and owes much to the dedication and attention to detail of the Smiths.

Although the original building had to be completely gutted, many original school features have been kept in the new shop. From the coat pegs on which the carrier bags now hang, through to the green exterior paint of the old school’s windows (which was found in various parts of the building), everything has been done to restore the building to its former glory.

Historic photos also helped in the project, allowing Doug to replicate the gothic-style arched windows and internal doors. Despite having to raise the roof by three inches to meet modern building regulations, the crowning glory of the bell tower was restored and the bell reunited with its original clanger, so that it can now ring again.

So successful has the restoration been that many customers come into the shop to point out where they sat in the infants’ classroom. Although it’s now the sound of exotic wine lists and not multiplication tables that can be heard from within, the Old Village School is once again a focal point for the people of Bubwith and the customers of the Jug & Bottle.