A greengrocers 'powered by women' in the heart of a Saddleworth village is celebrating hitting a decade in business - and I visited to find out what the secret is to its success.
Alimentari Di Alberti Greengrocers on New Street in Uppermill undeniably stands out from the crowd.
Not only is it the only independent grocery in the village but its locally sourced produce and multi-coloured market fresh fruit and vegetables in a charmingly vibrant and tidy store make it almost impossible to walk past - or leave empty-handed.
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Considering the last decade has been jam-packed with crises, from the pandemic to the cost of living and the ever-imminent threat of supermarket competition, not to mention a Love Island TV debut thrown in between, the Alimentari store and its team of 'lady greengrocers' have weathered through it all.
I popped by to speak to owner, Caroline Hardman, to find out how it made it through.
The mother-of-two explained she and her twin brothers, John and Tony Alberti, otherwise known as the Alberti twins, bought the shop in 2014.
The little store had already been a grocery for some 27 years beforehand and after the brothers took off to the Spanish villa for ITV's reality TV show, Caroline and her team, made up of Vanda and Ivanna, took the reigns.
She continued: "The past 10 years, it's gone very quick.
"It's been a rollercoaster ride.
"I was working in the NHS as a dental nurse at the time and was pregnant.
"It was stressful when my brothers left, especially with a baby. But it just happened like that.
"At one point I did feel like we hit a brick wall and almost sold the business as it was hard to run the shop.
"Then Covid hit and we were just thrown into the thick of it as what we found, when supermarket shelves were empty, we ended up being an essential service to the community.
"The three of us just cracked on with it."
Caroline explained how during the peak of the pandemic, the grocery became a community hub for villagers who found comfort and even some normality in the shop at a strange and isolating time.
To meet the sudden surge in demand, the team created veg boxes which had customers queuing up the street.
Caroline continued: "That's how we got through. The veg boxes also put a bit of a spotlight on us and we realised we were providing a really important service.
"We also received a grant in Covid which I put all towards the shop with new fridges, new lighting and a revamped look."
Work at the shop on a day-to-day basis is far from easy either, as the team rise early to go to the market and welcome the deliveries of the day.
Caroline added: "We try to be as competitive as we can and help people out - for instance, if you just need to buy one carrot for a recipe, we will accommodate that. We're really flexible.
"Many greengrocer's have practically disappeared over the years.
"We feel so lucky to be around so many good quality shops here and in such a welcoming community that is thriving.
"We support other local businesses - our freshly made pies are made in Saddleworth, Oldham and Delph - we just support what others are making.
"We have such lovely customers - friendly faces come in all the time.
"We also have a loyalty scheme. We keep the cards for customers here for them but it works so that if you spend more than £10, you'll get 20 per cent off on your 10th visit.
"It's more than just a shop."
When asked about the style and influence of the store, and why the family didn't pursue an Italian restaurant, she said: "My family have always had a passion for food and cooking, especially Italian and you'll see we have some authentic produce in store - the type of food you would see in Italy.
"My brothers have their own cooking channel on YouTube.
"But I love my little shop.
"I've signed up for another five years, so we'll definitely be here for another five at least."
A customer who was filling her hamper at the time added: "There is always something interesting in this shop."
Meanwhile, another woman said: "It's the quality, too.
"I came in here once on the scrounge for rhubarb and found all these amazingly bizarre things that are fresh.
"Like Jerusalem artichokes!"
To celebrate the big anniversary, Alimentari held free daily raffles and gave one huge hamper of goodies to one lucky customer.
In a post on social media, Caroline added: "From our beginnings with my brothers The Alberti Twins to now led by an incredible team of ladies, it's been an amazing journey.
"Heartfelt thanks to our fantastic customers who've shaped our shop into what it is today.
"My gratitude extends to my exceptional team, working behind the scenes to make everything run seamlessly every day.
"Special shoutout to our dedicated drivers ensuring timely deliveries Monday to Saturday.
"Big thanks to the cafes and restaurants trusting us with their orders. Your support means the world to us!
"Great thanks to all our suppliers, mainly locally sourced produce."
She also said the journey has been one of "resilience and growth" including the tough times through Covid and emerging with loyal customers who have become good friends.
Caroline also extended her thanks to the whole team that bring magic into Alimentari - Vanda, Ivanna, Jasmine, Libby, Paul, and Peter.
"Here's to the next chapter", she added.
Do you know any inspiring women to give them a shout-out this International Women's Day?
Alternatively, do you have a restaurant, shop or other business venture you'd like us to review? Email me Olivia.bridge@newsquest.co.uk or send me a message on Twitter @Livbridge
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