Inside Small Businesses -Readymoney Beach Shop

I’ve walked down to Readymoney Cove more times than I can count, early mornings with the mist still clinging to the water, lazy summer afternoons with families paddling at the edge. It’s one of those places that feels like a secret shared between friends. And at its heart is Victoria Clark and her Readymoney Beach Shop, the kind of small business that makes you want to linger, order another coffee, and fall a little more in love with Cornwall. This is her story.

Rachel Roberts

If you walk down the path to Readymoney Cove early enough, before the swimmers appear and the day’s first coffee is poured, you’ll catch the beach at its most serene. The tide ripples quietly against the sand, gulls hang suspended in the sea breeze, and the air smells faintly of salt and seaweed. It’s this tiny patch of Cornish paradise that forms the heart and soul of Readymoney Beach Shop, run by Victoria Clark, who greets customers with the warmth of someone who’s exactly where she’s meant to be.

“I never set out to run a beach shop,” she laughs. “I just wanted the town to have some Christmas lights.”

Victoria’s path to Readymoney is the kind of serendipitous story that could only happen in a close-knit coastal community. After leaving her career as a personal injury lawyer, she moved to Fowey in February 2015 with her husband and three young boys, planning a quieter life by the sea. “We’d holidayed here for years and finally decided to make the move,” she says. “The idea was for me to be a stay-at-home mum… but I’m not very good at the ‘staying at home’ part.”

That restless energy led her to join the committee for the Fowey Christmas Market, where she discovered the town’s festive light fund had been redirected to something equally vital. “The money had gone to keep the public toilets at Readymoney open,” she recalls. “And I thought, well, we can’t have no loos and no Christmas lights!”

So was born the idea for a community tuck shop at Readymoney Cove, complete with wallpapering table, camping stove, and a small army of volunteers baking cakes. Over the summer, Victoria and the team of volunteers raised £2,800, enough to fund the new lights. But she didn’t yet realise that the little pop-up was the start of something much bigger.

Not long after, Cornwall Council called to ask whether she'd ever considered tendering for a coffee van licence at the beach. "I didn't have a van, had never run a coffee shop, and knew the real priority was ensuring visitors had somewhere to go to the loo," she says. "But this place mattered - to me, my family, everyone who loved Readymoney." With help from a local builder, an interior-designer friend, and what she calls her "in-depth, situation-specific negotiations" with the council, Readymoney Beach Shop officially opened its doors in May 2017.n.

Since then, the shop has grown, evolved, and weathered its share of storms, quite literally. What began as a lovely spot for coffee, ice cream, cake, and buckets & spades has blossomed into a carefully curated coastal lifestyle store, brimming with Cornish-made gifts, art, and homewares. “I started to realise just how much Readymoney means to people,” Victoria says. “It’s not just a beach, it’s a place where people get engaged, take wedding photos, even spread their loved ones’ ashes. I feel much more like a custodian than a tenant.”

That philosophy shows in every detail: the free-to-use public toilet maintained by the shop year-round, the blanket baskets laid out for chilly visitors, and the beach clean board that welcomes everyone to do their bit. “I want it to feel like everyone’s local beach,” Victoria says.

Inside, the aesthetic has evolved through five colour schemes (“We’re now on our fifth front counter colour!” she laughs), with 2026 debuting a bright coral pink that echoes Readymoney’s joyful energy. But beyond the décor, it’s the relationships that define the business. “I absolutely love connecting with my suppliers, so many are women running their own small businesses from kitchen tables, just like I did in the beginning,” she says proudly.

Victoria's talent for storytelling extends seamlessly online. Her "Notes from Readymoney Cove" newsletter, sent every Sunday at 7am, has become a ritual for loyal readers worldwide: "People tell me they don't get out of bed until they've read it".  During lockdown, she built a thriving e-commerce platform that transformed Readymoney into a destination shop, as much a part of far-flung lives as it is for locals. "Two customers have placed over 50 online orders each," she says proudly. "It's that connection - from our regular swimmers grabbing hot chocolate after every dip, to faraway fans keeping their Readymoney love alive year-round, that’s what energises me."

Of course, seaside glamour has its gritty side. Victoria is candid about the realities of running a hospitality business. “Most people are absolutely lovely,” she says, “but a few can be… challenging. We all have bad days, but luckily, this view reminds me why I do it.” She gestures to the beach just outside the shop, waves glinting, a brave swimmer warming up on the rocks over a steaming coffee. “Even when the weather turns wild, it’s magic. I can have the hardest morning, then take a quick dip or enjoy the evening light after closing and remember how lucky I am.”

As Readymoney Beach Shop enters 2026, Victoria is brimming with ideas. “We’ve just refreshed the look, and I’m focusing on expanding our ‘Gifts from Cornwall’ range,” she says. “There’s such incredible creativity in this county; I love championing it.” Trade show season has her inbox overflowing with inspiration, and a recent social media call-out has brought fresh supplier leads. “It’s all very positive and exciting for 2026, bring it on!”

At its heart, though, her mission remains simple: to celebrate the powerful connection between people and place. “Readymoney Cove is special,” Victoria reflects. “It’s part of people’s stories, past, present and future. I just get to help keep that story going.”

And as you leave the shop, hot chocolate steaming in hand and salt breeze brushing your face, it's easy to see she's doing exactly that.

Readymoney Beach Shop is open year-round (weather permitting) at Readymoney Cove, Fowey, follow the path down from the Esplanade. Sign up for Victoria’s Sunday “Notes from Readymoney Cove” at readymoneybeachshop.co.uk.