SHERSTON Post Office has won the prestigious national title of Post Office Retailer of the Year.

They picked up the award in the independent category for post offices at the Retail Industry Awards.

The competition was open to all independent shops that also run a post office and judges looked at a variety of disciplines including customer service and availability of goods.

Each post office then received a visit from a mystery shopper who judged the shopping experience for themselves.

The shortlisted entrants for the independent category not only included traditional village and convenience shops but also included a farm and toy shop.

Paul Mather, who manages the post office with his wife Gail, was pleased that their hard work had been given recognition.

"We are thrilled to have won this national competition,” he said.

“We are very proud for ourselves, very proud for the staff, very proud for the customers and very proud for the village.

“Our mantra is trying to be different. You’ve got to stock the basics but we stock other quirky things too.

“We pride ourselves on level of service we provide and we try to make it a fun place to shop.”

Paul cites the personal touches he and his wife strive to provide at their post office as one of the reasons for winning the award.

“We work hard to try and provide that personal service,” he said. “We have 18 members of our staff, all of which are local, so they all know everyone by name almost.

“We have dedicated staff on the post office side who are trained specifically for their role, whereas smaller post offices tend to be diluted, with staff doing various jobs.

“The key now is to maintain the high standards in the future.”