An British social media tycoon whose great-great grandfather built a small grocery shop in a sleepy north Devon village has turned it into what has come to be known as "Britain's poshest corner shop".
Michael Birch made his fortune by helping set up several social networking sites including Bebo, which he sold for $850 million in 2008. He has since been spending his cash renovating an English village — buying buildings and land in Woolsery, north Devon, which he visited as a boy and where some of his ancestors lived.
Mr Birch and his wife have bought the local pub, fish and chip shop, manor house, several properties plus around 90 acres of farmland.
And now they have transformed the run-down local store his great-great grandfather once owned into a posh shop. Woolsery village shop remained in the family until it was sold in 1961. Mr Birch's grandmother Millicent Andrew was born in the property in 1900.
However, it has been met with a mixed reaction from locals. Some say they like the makeover, but others have complained that it would have been "better seeing investment on a local level". One said: "Absolutely love our village shop makeover. All the buildings were listed and derelict back in 2015 and have been renovated at the cost of millions.
"We've already been lucky enough to have the pub, restaurant, fish and chip shop completely renovated by a millionaire who spent his childhood in the village. The manor house is still being done up and there's a bakery to be added as well.
''So lucky to buy in this village without any knowledge of the investment that was being planned."
But another opined: "Beautiful renovations clearly needed In the village but given it was an American tech millionaire owning it all, it would have been better seeing investment on a local level and some sort of cooperative that benefited the local families.''
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The renovated shop sells bread, milk, tins and biscuits and offers local products including sausage rolls, pasties and artisan spreads and cakes. Some locals have commented on the prices — a two-litre bottle of milk costs £2.10 — much higher than other local stores.
A tin of Heinz soup is priced at £2 — more expensive than Waitrose, which sells it at £1.70 and Sainsburys for £1.50. However, most locals seem happy at the premium prices in exchange for the investment in the village.
One local said: "No one would run at a loss. Convenience stores are more expensive. At least they're selling some local good stuff."
Mr Birch and his wife Xochi are currently renovating a manor house, which is set to become a 17-bedroom hotel with a second restaurant. In addition, they own 90 acres of farmland in the village, which will provide ingredients for products for the store.
Resident Pat Kingston said: "I think what Michael has done is really good for the village. There are some original people who feel he is taking over the place, but his family originates from here, which is really nice.'' Another added: "It's good for the young people, it's one of the best things to have happened to the village in a long time.''
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