Debbie and Roy Vass of Health and Happiness in Liskeard have been enjoying welcoming customers to their new premises in the former Stove Shop on Pike Street.

Just a stone’s throw from their previous shop on Fore Street, the spacious building will allow them to stock more lines and expand, and Roy’s picture-framing business, Framecraft, is now happily housed in a room accessed via the store.

Importantly in these times, the new premises also offers customers more space to browse while keeping a social distance.

Debbie and Roy have run Health and Happiness since 2003, and during that time the demand for health foods and supplements has increased.

The shop sells an extensive range of Viridian, Solgar, Vogel and Optibac supplements, homeopathic remedies, and all kinds of both everyday and more unusual health foods, from dried goods and herbs and spices to an enormous array of herbal teas.

The Body and Mind Botanicals Cannabis Tea has become especially popular, says Debbie. This vegan, organic and 100% legal product is full of cannabinoids, shown to help relieve stress, reduce anxiety, improve sleep, and reduce pain and inflammation.

Also on the shelves you’ll find natural beauty products and hair dyes, baby products, toiletries, and household cleaning products. A new refill station enables customers to fill up on washing-up liquid, laundry liquid, fabric conditioner, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel or handwash, while ditching the single-use plastic.

Health and Happiness have daily fresh deliveries of Vicky’s bread and eggs from Penbugle Farm at Duloe.

The cabinet of handmade Belgian chocolates at the counter might take people by surprise, but Debbie explains: “One of our customers asked us back around the time we started why we had chocolates when we were a health food shop – I said that’s the happiness part!”

The concept of spreading happiness extends into the extensive card and giftwrap section of the shop – you’ll find greetings cards of all sorts, including some locally made.

“We’re pretty much known as the Teddy Bear Shop,” says Debbie, “because we have the blue-nosed Me to You Bears. The All Creatures range of soft toy animals are also very popular.”

Handmade Cornish soaps, confectionery, beeswax products and honey make distinctive local presents. The gift side of the shop is something Debbie says they intend to expand upon, now they have the scope in the bigger premises.

Health and Happiness offers free postage and free deliveries: simply call the shop or message on Facebook to place your order.

“Many of our customers told us they were really grateful we’d stayed open during the lockdown,” said Debbie.

“Some people still don’t feel comfortable coming out into the shops, so we will help them out. They place an order every couple of weeks and can still get what they want – we’ll do what works best for them.”

Those who have paid a visit to the new shop have given great feedback, like Anne Marr, who has been a regular customer for some time.

“I love this shop. She has all the top brand supplements and oils,” she said.

“Just about everything you associate with health and health food, you can find here – and the staff are very, very nice.”

The good rapport built up with customers is something that Debbie and Roy, and their staff Ann and Angie, are very proud of.

“It’s got a real family feel here. It’s something that’s been very important to us,” said Debbie.

“Our customers have seen our children grow up and now we have a grandchild.

“That’s something wonderful and I think quite unique about Liskeard: there are still a lot of family-run businesses in the town.”