Popular Mayo green grocer joins retirement ranks

ONE of Mayo's best known green grocers has retired.

Stephen Guthrie, a long-serving staff member of Liam Cannon's Fruit and Veg., Hopkins Road, Castlebar, completed his final sale this evening amid scenes of mixed emotions.

Customers of the popular shop had been calling in all week to wish Stephen, who turned 66 on Wednesday, health and happiness in his retirement.

It was always a joy to drop into him as you would invariably leave with a broad smile on your face.

Speaking to The Connaught Telegraph, Stephen, a native of McHale Road, said he is looking forward to the start of a new chapter in his life after working for the Cannon family for almost 21 years.

He stated: “Of course I will miss it. There was always great banter with the customers and I got on so well with Liam Cannon and all his staff over the years.

“The Cannons were very good to me and I will always appreciate that. But it is time to move on now and I am looking forward to it.”

Stephen stated the loyalty of customers kept the doors of Liam's shop open over the years despite strong competition from supermarket chains like Tesco, Dunnes Stones, Lidl and Aldi.

“It says a lot about Liam and his staff that the shop survived so well in those circumstances, not to mention the difficulties posed by the last recession, which impinged on everybody's life.

“I learned from an early stage that the hardest thing to do in business is to win over loyal customers and the easiest thing to do is lose them. Thankfully, Liam Cannon's Fruit and Veg. has enjoyed great loyalty and long may that continue into the future.”

A retirement celebration is planned for Tolster's, Spencer Street, Castlebar, on Saturday night, February 23, to which everybody is invited.