Shepton Mallet Nub News aims to support our community, promoting shops, businesses, charities, clubs and sports groups. We will be profiling some of these businesses and organisations regularly in a feature called Up Close in Shepton Mallet.

Today we're chatting to Mathew Tavener, who has been store manager at the Co-op's Pilton and Evercreech stores since October last year.

There are a handful of store managers up and down the country who run two stores for the Co-op – Mathew Tavener is one of them.

Having piloted the new Pilton store to its first birthday recently, alongside running the established shop in Evercreech, the 34-year-old is revelling in the initiatives and community involvement he takes part in.

An important project that Mathew has launched in Evercreech, with Pilton to follow in August, is soft "scrunchable" plastic recycling.

He told Shepton Mallet Nub News: "If it's plastic and 'scrunchable', bring it in and place it in our bin at the front of the store and we'll send it back to the depot to be recycled - simple, but effective.

"Many of us will have had our kerbside recycling habits changed recently with the Recycle More blue bags - it wasn't until I was discussing the soft plastics bin with a colleague that I realised the amount of plastic that we use at home daily that we have been, up until now, unable to recycle locally.

"The list of sustainable initiatives in the Co-op is incredible, there are many things that you as customers support just by shopping.

"For example, all Co-op own-branded tea, coffee, chocolate - even if the chocolate is an ingredient - is Fair trade.

"British meat, cooked, raw or as an ingredient - all Co-op own-branded lines are British. We also have a green compostable carrier bag that can be used with your food waste recycling at home.

"For every Co-op bottle of water, still, sparkling or flavoured that is purchased, we donate to The ONE Foundation. It works out at 3p per litre to the foundation which helps projects in Africa."

At a more local level, Co-op Membership gives 2p of each £1 members spend split between the Local Community Fund and Community Partnerships Fund. Our latest local causes are Horrington Cricket Club, the Somerset and Wessex Eating Disorders Association and Marie Curie Somerset.

Mathew says he is also proud of the other local initiatives where his stores have been able to help in a meaningful way.

"This yearwe have provided £200 worth of fruit to welcome the local children back to school after the last full lockdown we had," he said.

"This was a lovely and healthy treat to have been able to do and we even received some feedback that children who refused to eat fruit at home were now asking their parents to buy some as they had enjoyed it so much.

"We support the local Foodshare scheme in both Evercreech and Pilton by donating any unsold 'out of date' products to be distributed among those that need it.

"I feel especially proud about this scheme as it will have been taking a weight off some families' shoulders especially during the height of furlough." Talking of family, Mathew has a three-year-old son who is a main focus for him when he is not being store manager.

Mathew said: "I have always worked in convenience retail, I love the pace of each day. It dawned on methis yearthat I have spent half my life, 17 years, in retail!

"I joined Co-op from a competitor almost five years ago. Co-op's values are values that I, as a representative of the Co-op, can be proud to uphold.

"The fact that we strive for honesty, transparency and humility in all we do is something that resonates with me, especially being one of a handful of managers across the business that runs two stores.

"I approach both teams with an honest approach and, for me, this encourages the same behaviours back from them.

"The best part of the job has to be the pride I get from my teams delivering great shops for our customers.

"One of the main reasons I moved to Co-op was to be part of a business that puts customers and community first, and that is shown when my colleagues are asking me if we can support local events, which have been sadly lacking the past 18 months due to many events being cancelled or postponed due to the pandemic."

Co-op membership helps support your local community, with great rewards for you too. When you buy selected Co-op branded products and services, 2p for every pound spent goes to you and we'll give the same to local communities.

or in-store.