Geoff Fisher at the Wroxham Barns Apple shop with cider and apple juice. Photo: Bill Smith

I sell local cider not iPads, says Hoveton trader!

By stephen pullinger
Saturday, February 16, 2013
10:33 AM

When the Apple Shop opened at Wroxham Barns 20 years ago there was no danger of any confusion: apple equalled crunchy, shiny fruit.

The headaches for trader Geoff Fisher only started in 2009 when the Apple Store opened in the Chapelfield Centre, in Norwich.

Since then a growing number of people have been ringing him up not to inquire about his cider and apple juice but to bombard him with queries about their iPhones and iPads.

“Over the last 12 months I have been inundated with calls and it has reached as many as 25 a week,” he said.

Geoff, 50, of Potter Heigham, has now decided enough is enough – and over the Easter holidays he is changing the name of his business to The Norfolk Cider Shop.

He said: “My brother Stephen, who used to work for Gaymer’s at Attleborough, founded The Norfolk Cider Company in 1987 and opened the shop here in 1993.

“In those days there was no such thing as an iPod or iPhone and the problems only began after I took over the shop four years ago.”

The retired classical ballet dancer, who lived in Germany for many years, said many of the callers were stressed about their broken iPhone or scratched iPad and begging for help and advice.

He said: “When their computer crashes or their iPhone has stopped working they typically grab the phone book and my number for the Apple Shop with a Norwich 01603 prefix is listed right above the one for the city’s Apple Store so it is easy to understand the mix-up.

“It can be very funny, but some people are very rude and they slam the phone down. All I can say to them is, ‘I’m very sorry, I can’t help you, but please do come along and get some proper Norfolk cider to get over your sorrows’.”

Geoff said he would be using the opportunity of the name change to relaunch his business on the Horstead Road, Hoveton retail site.

He said: “I shall not only be stocking my brother’s Kingfisher Farm cider but sourcing as many traditional East Anglian ciders as I can.

“The current horse meat scandal has increased the demand for local produce and I can guarantee cider made from 100pc pure Norfolk apple juice – no additives and no hangovers!”

7 comments

What a great way to get your small business a free ad. Business could really take off if national media get hold of this fasinating success story. Nice outfit, promoting Norfolk sterotypes! ........Not set from an Apple Device

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Paul Morley

Thursday, February 21, 2013
Why hasn't apple taken this similarly named shop to court? They are usually very territorial about his sort of thing.

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doctorwho

Thursday, February 21, 2013
why will the change of name stop people ringing his shop? it will be in the phone books and most adverts for the next 2 years at least. it seems strange also that at the same time he is not going to sell his brothers cider which started this little venture? perhaps theres more to this than meets the eye.

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stephen watson

Wednesday, February 20, 2013
What a bunch of morons calling a cider shop.

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doctorwho

Wednesday, February 20, 2013
I'm afraid he is to late. I run an Apple repair store called "The Norfolk Cider Shop" :o)

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ggj666

Saturday, February 16, 2013
Most people now using ipads & iphones are practically illiterate , relying entirely on technology for their language or spelling needs. It doesn't surprise me that they're incapable of reading a 'phone directory.

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Sheila Blige

Saturday, February 16, 2013
He's guaranteeing no hangovers? That's very brave of him!

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Only Me

Saturday, February 16, 2013