Customers crown Loanhead Post Office the best in Scotland

The shop on The Loan, which has been run by brothers Adil and Asif Bashir for 20 years, was awarded the prestigious title after customers voted in their hundreds in the nationwide online contest.

Asif told the Advertiser: “The Post Office asked for feedback from customers about branches that went that extra mile during the pandemic. They put this together because a lot of post offices closed when the lockdown came in to force in March.

“But we knew how busy we are so stayed open and got safety screens in right away, so we could continue to serve the community, and do it safely. We didn’t reduce our hours and had everything in place every day, and this was during Ramadan. It’s been tough.

“So to get that recognition is absolutely amazing.

“It’s all about doing the right thing for the community.

“We knew people were struggling, so we updated our Facebook page every day to let people know what we had in stock and what we didn’t have.

“We got masks, gloves and sprays in for them, and if they were struggling we took what they needed to their houses free of charge.

“We got an email from head office to say we had been voted best post office in Scotland, which is great. We thought maybe we would win best in the region, but the whole of the country is incredible.

“It shows how much our customers appreciate us.”

Although Asif admitted it hasn’t been easy, he and his brother are happy to help.

He said: “We have managed to hold it all together quite well. My brother is doing trips to Glasgow at six in the morning to get as much stock as possible for our customers to keep things going.

“Thanks to the customers for their votes, and all the nice messages. Everyone that has been in the shop has said well done for winning.

“To be honest, it’s all about the community helping each other, that’s all that matters.

“We have got a lot of vulnerable customers and we just wanted to help them out as much as we could. We helped people get through with priority service as well. And we have helped local foodbanks also.”

Commenting on the news that Loanhead Post Office was voted best in Scotland, Midlothian MP Owen Thompson (SNP)said: “Loanhead Post Office is a brilliant example of a public-spirited community shop. They look out for everyone who comes in, making sure they are safe and well.

“They have worked their socks off to keep the shelves well stocked with essential supplies during the lockdown, and posted regular updates to let people know what’s available before they leave the home.

“It is even more remarkable that they are providing such a great service during the month of Ramadan when staff are working without food and drink for about 20 hours a day.

“Congratulations to the team for their dedication and commitment to the community. I hope they have some well deserved rest, relaxation, and had a bit of a celebration when Eid came on Sunday.”