A LITTLE shop in Llandeilo, which has been run by the same family for more than a century, has won a big award this week.

The Little Welsh Dresser, on Rhosmaen Street, was awarded the Bespoke Retailer of the Year Award at the 2017 Welsh Independent Retail Awards.

The awards celebrate the quirky, the unique, the wonderfully eclectic independent retailers from all over Wales.

The Llandeilo shop, which specialises in bespoke furniture and gifts, was up against more than eight other bespoke retailers from across the country in their category.

Owner, Benedict Vaughan-Morris, said he was absolutely delighted his family shop had been recognised in the awards.

He said: “I couldn’t believe it.

“We didn’t know anything about it until we had been nominated.

“So many of our lovely customers had voted for us without us knowing.”

Benedict is the fourth generation of his family to run the shop.

“My great grandparents bought it around 1905 and ran a tobacconist here.

“Their children then carried this on and later turned it in to a health food shop - ahead of their time.

“My father helped run this with them.

“My father inherited the building, and for quite a while he rented it out to a couple of different wine bars, and then as an Indian restaurant for a long time.

“When they left, it ended up being empty for just over a year.

“With a lot of help from my family, and creative ideas from my wife Sarah, we opened at the end of September 2014.”

Benedict made sure to restore as many of the shop’s original features as he could.

“I felt that the building was a really important part of the shop, and set about restoring it to it’s former glory.

“I feel so lucky that our little shop with such a long history has been recognised in this way.

“It’s a real honour.”