First ‘Avens’ store set to open in Kirkcaldy – check out this new convenience shop for Fife

The first “Avens” store officially opened in Kirkcaldy earlier this month, which not only means a new name for the hight street, but a host of new facilities for local shoppers.

It sits on Rosslyn Street, in Kirkcaldy, next to the Royal Bank of Scotland branch, and has 54 dedicated parking spaces too, to truly make it a convenience store.

To celebrate the landmark opening with the community, store manager Lee Drysdale is hosting a special event to welcome customers on March 18 which will include freebies and tastings and the sale of raffle tickets to win a TV and to scoop a Supermarket Sweep, with proceeds going towards the Family Cottage Charity.

MSP David Torrance will officially cut the ribbon at 12pm and Raith Rovers football club players will be there to meet customers and for photo opportunities.

Manager Lee Drysdale was brought up in and around retail since the age of 13 but now helps run several stores which operate in partnership with Nisa, having been with the symbol group since the 1990s. However, the imminent opening of the Kirkcaldy store signals the first time a store under the ‘Avens’ fascia. The name and the logo, which is taken from a native Scottish flower, will also appear above two re-branded Nisa stores in Overton Road and Ballingry, all under the same ownership.

Lee describes the stores as a ‘hybrid’ between a convenience store and a supermarket, differentiating them from other high street convenience stores.

The stores tend to be larger than traditional convenience stores and the Kirkcaldy shop has been fitted with a range of impressive extras.

Local producers

Supplying locally-sourced products is one of the unique differences for these stores. Freshly selected and packed fish will come from C. Sinclair fishmerchants from Burntisland in Fife. Fresh local meat is sourced from award-winning butchers Tom Courts, also from Burntisland. This multi-award winning butcher has held the Scottish Craft Butchers Scottish Haggis Championship accolade (2019-20) as well as the Butcher’s Shop of the Year Awards (2017). The store will also supply products from Buffalo Farm butchers, Stuarts the bakers and Goodfellows bakers, and it stocks Segafredo Italian hand-roasted coffee beans and delicious pre-prepared meals from Savage Kitchen.

And with Avens Deli there are numbers products created and sold in-store including sandwiches, rolls, wraps and panini, macaroni cheese, stovies, muffins, American-style burgers, bacon and sausage rolls to keep you going from breakfast until suppertime.

Because it has opening hours of 6am to 10pm Monday to Saturday and 7am – 10pm on Sundays –  this truly is your local convenience store.

Hot and cold drinks

The Kirkcaldy shop boasts a modern beer cave, where cabinets fitted with glass doors allow customers to take in the vast selection on beers and wines on sale. It also offers a large, chilled food section, as well as a Calippo fizzy slush machine – something Lee hopes will prove especially popular in the spring and summer months.

But if it’s a hot beverage you’re after, rather than a thirst-quenching cold slush, then you’ll love the in-store top-of-the-range coffee machine whether you long for a latte or get excited for espresso!

And what better to go with a refreshing drink than one of the new Custard Fudge Doughnut? This exclusive product is only available to Avens and its company-owned stores.

Food to go

Asbhan Javid , who operates the Overton Road store, is particularly proud of the store’s new food-to-go section. “We have a great food-to-go offering which is unique, being that the entire selection is made from scratch. Our menu also changes with the seasons and is regularly updated with specials.

“We are delighted to have a partnership with Stuarts the Bakers, the award winning bakers and butchers in this store,” he said – something that will be available at Kirkcaldy too.

Giving back to the community

A recent study commissioned by Scottish Grocers Federation, and carried out by NEF, showed that spending £10 in a local food outlet is actually worth £25 to the local economy, as it gets re-spent locally several times. In comparison, every £10 spent in a supermarket leads to only £2.40 being spent in the local area.

Michael Cunningham, who is based in the Ballingry store believes very strongly in playing an active role in his local community. One of the ways Michael contributes to the community is through his charity work. He does this independently and through the Nisa Making a Difference Locally (MADL) model.

MADL is a charity established by Nisa to help independent retailers support their local communities. The charity helps Nisa stores raise money that can then be donated to local charities and good causes. This is done through the sale of selected products in store, including all Co-op own brand items and those from Nisa’s own-label Heritage range.

“We've given back quite a bit through MADL and through our own direct sponsorships to local schools and through local football teams. We have also raised money for a number of small charities. We really aim to raise as much money for the local community as possible,” explains Michael.

“Being independent gives you an excellent opportunity to play an active role within your community, giving back is a lovely way to do this. As a local store we very much rely on our local communities, so we feel very strongly about giving back and supporting them.”

Click here for more about Avens Retail