Mary Queen of the High Street

Cornwall

Mary travels to Liskeard in Cornwall, where her usual rocket pace and direct approach meets the laid-back Cornish attitude to life. But will this combination bring success or cause fireworks? Liskeard is a market town, 20 miles inland from Plymouth, that has been an important cattle market since medieval times, with the high street filled with busy shops. However, in 2001 the foot and mouth crisis devastated Liskeard's cattle market. On top of this, a large out-of-town supermarket has been luring customers away. Mary believes that Liskeard's high street needs to make the most of its locally produced quality food, as a way of differentiating itself from the supermarket. She is delighted to find three excellent local food shops - a butcher, a greengrocer and a fishmonger. But her suggestion of producing a joint delivery box takes a considerable time to sort out. They also venture into pie making.