Northamptonshire shopping village is home to ‘quintessential, boutique independents’ – and has popular on-site eatery

A Northamptonshire shopping village is the home to a wide variety of “quintessential, boutique independents”, with an on-site eatery that has proved very popular among visitors.

Heart of the Shires Shopping Village is located in Watling Street, just north of Weedon, and The 1867 eatery is located in its Victorian courtyard.

The team is proud of the hidden gem and always looks forward to welcoming new and returning faces.

Just last month, the eatery made it into OpenTable’s 10 most booked venues in the county – and its afternoon tea was flagged as a “top experience”.

Paul Campbell, a member of the 23-strong crew, spoke to this newspaper about just how well both the shopping village and its eatery are doing.

The 1867 was formerly a tearoom and the current team took over in July last year, when it underwent a rebrand.

As a member of the marketing and events team, Paul shared the meaning behind the name ‘The 1867’ – which dates back to when the on-site farm buildings were first made.

The numbers still feature on the side of one of the barns and the name was chosen to celebrate the local stonemasons who created what is now home to the shopping village.

For those who have never heard of Heart of the Shires Shopping Village, Paul described it as a “quintessential gem of boutique, independent shops”.

It is not only a destination venue for locals across Northamptonshire, but people around the world – including America, Indonesia and Germany.

With it being in such a central location at the heart of England, Paul says it is also a “destination for get togethers” and that is why they have so many events going on.

Paul and the team believe it is the uniqueness of the products on offer, the convenient location, and beautiful countryside that keeps visitors coming back for more.

The shops include everything from cookware, sweets and luxury travel accessories, to an art gallery and an antiques centre.

At the eatery, which is open seven days a week, the breakfast experience takes place between 9.30am and 11.30am. Lunch, light bites and cake are available from 11.30am until 4pm. The popular afternoon tea experience takes place from 2.30pm until 4pm.

There is free parking available to all, and even a helicopter pad for those who like to travel in style.

When asked how it feels to have ranked so highly on OpenTable in September, Paul said: “I’m proud of the crew. It isn’t about one individual member, we are a family of 23 crew members and every single person is proud to be part of the team.

“It doesn’t surprise me that we are popular as we are open seven days a week and everyday we are told what a lovely place it is.”

The 1867 operates with the motto of ‘coffee, food, friends’ – and the friends aspect is the most important part, as everyone is made to feel like a friend when they visit.

Paul believes it is the way visitors are hosted that sets them apart from other eateries across the county.

With a head host at the front of house and more staff members offering personalised table service, customers are made to feel looked after by the team.

The food and coffee is also high quality, with trained baristas and coffee dialled in every morning.

“People tell us they come from miles to drink our coffee,” said Paul. “Our aim is that all guests leave feeling better than they did when they arrived.”

For more information, you can visit the Facebook pages for the Heart of the Shires Shopping Village and The 1867.