Prentis greengrocer in Ramsgate reopens doors due to customer demand

June 2, 2022 Kathy Bailes Business 40

John Prentis and covid ambassador Bob Hughes during the pandemic

Prentis Greengrocers in Ramsgate is back open due to customer demand.

The King Street shop closed in May after more than a decade of serving customers at the site, including during the pandemic supplying customers at the store and with deliveries.

The closure was a blow to the town which lost JC Rook’s earlier this year and previously the former Bartlett and White/Paynes fruit and veg shop.

Prentis is run by John Prentis Snr who had closed the site due to a combination of not being able to compete with supermarket prices and the need to cut back his hours

But the shop is now open again after calls for its service to return to the town.

The store will be open Monday to Saturday, 7am to 1pm.

40 Comments

  1. Great news regarding the Prentis greengrocer shop. Perhaps “popular demand” will bring back J C Rooks. Without the latter, Ramsgate town centre is dead. In fact, it is very depressing.

    • If everyone get’s together for a group gggrrrrrrr!!!! on Facebook, it might even encourage a Harrods 🙂

    • Haha Peter you always amaze me with you negative sarcasm. Bring back positivity sarcasm

      Prentis has many followers…

      Those stores you mentioned folded or went online. Ooh yeah C & A

    • Peter, I used the Prentis shop for one reason, its possible to buy one onion, or a Leek, or any single item, unlike supermarkets that sell multi packs! This means about a third of vegetables go off, and are thrown away before they get used! Why do I need to buy 3 Leeks from ASDA, Duurh!

      • I too use proper Greengrocers for that very reason, but let’s get real here folks: NO business judges whether or not they’re viable because of comments on social media; they judge by how many people actually come into the shop and buy things. Yes, it’s GREAT that they’ve had a change of heart, but it has nothing to do with facebook, and everything to do with a reassessment of the situation. Time will tell if it remains viable, so use it or lose it (Margate had 3 greengrocers a decade or so ago, and now it has none!).

      • It is finished, I know a few people who won’t go down the town centre because there isn’t any toilets in the centre

        • That’s it then- Ramsgate is doomed! A few people Penelope knows won’t visit it because Cavendish Street loos are closed!

          • How many town centres in the country haven’t got loos , it’s a disgrace Ramsgate haven’t got any , thats why Ramsgate town Is finished ,it’s full of pot smokers and yobs causing trouble outside kfc

          • I was about to say that TDC are taking the p*ss, but actually it’s the complete opposite! Either way, it puts me off from visiting too (I’ll go to Minster or Westgate instead).

    • Ramsgate needs this news. Its really turned into a peasant left behinders hang out. A real depressing place

      • No Penelope , it isn’t. What is the matter with people like you? Why are you so miserably critical? How often do you walk around the town centre? How many people-often complete strangers -do you talk to, no matter how briefly?

        • I go down the town centre every day because I live there ,the place is a disgrace, it’s embarrassing to hear visitors talking about how dirty the place is ,if you can’t see that you need to go Specsavers

          • I walk to the town centre most days, and very often see our local road-sweepers at work there. I do not think the town centre is particularly dirty or messy , nor have I ever heard anybody actually commenting that it is.

    • What a busy day I had yesterday!
      Went into town to get some veg from the newly reopened Prentis. Whilst I was there I popped into the shoe repair shop to get my heel fixed. Then into the nearby Court’s chemists to get my special cream. They didn’t have it, so I went over the road to Boots. Then up the road a bit to Smith’s for some printer paper and inkjet cartridges.
      Then I remembered that it was my old mum’s birthday, so shot into Hinds the jewellers for a broach. Unfortunately, their card machine was down, so I nipped across the road to my bank and got some cash out.
      Then I remembered that we were going to decorate the lounge so went to Wilko’s to check their range of paints. Next off to Waitrose (my, what a big, free, carpark) for a jar of cocoa and some muffins.
      I had hoped that would be that, but I got a text asking me to go to the library to enquire about a book.
      I trudged back down Elms avenue, and saw Paris’ dry cleaners. Oh! I’d forgotten that my crimpolene frock was ready, so in I went.
      By now, I was ready for a cuppa. But where? The Beano cafe in the High St? The Village Grill? I settled for the delightful Home Front cafe. As I sat there sipping my Lapsang slouching and munching my muffin, I gazed out of the window and thanked heaven that I didn’t need the pawn brokers nor the undertakers; but a pop into the off licence might be in order .

  5. Great news indeed as Prentis were always the best greengrocers in town, and with the new bookshop and the Modern Boulangerie opening in Harbour Street in the near future, we can only hope for more independent shops to follow them. It would be helpful if TDC came to the party with a more sensible car parking strategy for those who cannot walk or cycle into town.

  8. Fantastic news a great local fruit and veg thank everyone for the support we need more local shops ..Margate is way ahead in organic foods vegan and juices it’s a shame Ramsgate town just has Vape shops and barbers?.

  9. Shops won’t open in ramsgate as its all to do with the customers … ramsgate is ideally suited for pound shops … but I’m pleased the greengrocers is back .. good for the environment and our health ..

    • So the peolpe of ramsgate can pick up bargains for £1 … simple.. I imagine they do a roaring trade .. I’m not always in favour of the pound shop from an environment point of view because of the amount of plastic etc ..

  12. I was shopping in Ramsgate town Wednesday, and saw only one beggar, a woman, so things are improving!

  13. Comparing like for like Ramsgate high street and environ is (pardon the pun) streets ahead of Margate!

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