A SOCIAL club and bar is going above and beyond to provide a vital service for residents after setting up an online delivery service and shop.

The Wethersfield Club, on Old Mill Chase, Wethersfield, is a mainstay in the village with many residents going there to have a drink.

However, since the coronavirus pandemic, the club has been forced to close its doors to customers.

Now the club is looking to give something back to its loyal patrons after setting up an online shop and home delivery service.

Originally just delivering their usual drinks and snacks on offer at the club, their service has since evolved to include items requested by residents such as bread, milk and other daily essentials.

The club has seen an uptake in orders with residents making small orders of just a few items to ordering their full weekly shops.

Matthew Suckling, 28, is a steward at the club and is regularly in charge of orders and deliveries along with fellow steward Kim Patmore.

He said: “We were forced to close because of the lockdown but we decided to carry on serving residents with home delivery.

“To begin with we were just selling our usual drinks and snacks and set up an online shop on our website for people to place their orders.

“Gradually we have been adding to our range as people have been asking for different stuff.

“We aim to provide locals with as many things as we can and when they ask for stuff we aim to provide it.

“We’ve started going to a wholesalers and we’re getting as much as we can locally like fresh veg. It’s been going really well and we are constantly adding as we come across them.

“People go to our online shop on our website where they send us an order and if we have it in stock at the time we aim to deliver it within the hour.”

The club’s efforts have been praised by many residents with the club even going out of its way to deliver leaflets to let people who might not be able to get online know about the service.

As the service grows to include places such as Great Yeldham, Great Bardfield and other surrounding villages, the club has also opened up a small shop.

Organisers could now keep the service going after the lockdown is lifted, especially since the village’s last shop closed a number of years ago.

For more information about the club, visit wethersfieldclub.co.uk.

n Our #BackingEssexBusiness campaign highlights businesses going the extra mile. Email us at bwtnews@newsquest.co.uk.