Welcome to Yolk General Store, a modern rural merchant that keeps old school customer service at its core
When life gave Eryn Inglis lemons, she used their bright yellow colours to paint the walls of her dream shop. She had been working at the Hidden Scotland Shop in Banchory when it shut down earlier this year, leaving her with no job but instead the major opportunity to take over the converted farmhouse herself.
“I loved the building, people and place. I always thought I would have a shop and it just seemed like the right time,” says Eryn. “It wasn’t just because there was a space available, it was that my idea finally had a home.”
That idea was to create Yolk General Store, a modern rural merchant that keeps old school customer service at its core. This isn’t a place where you dart in and out for a quick errand, as everything from cheerful bright walls to a relaxed seating area invites you to stay, slow down and browse treasure troves of hand-picked items on the shelves.
“All the products are something I can happily pass over the counter and know if I genuinely love it, I think you will love it too,” says Eryn when explaining how everything has her own personal stamp of approval after being tried and tested. “It is a lifestyle store so we sell anything from home fragrance, which I am really passionate about, to textiles, knitted pieces, books, a big pantry section and just a general mix of all the things I recommend under one roof. It is a tiny mini department store that is weird and wonderful.”
Eryn’s endorsement of items isn’t given out easily as she relies on building relationships and trust with customers to keep them coming back, promising that they will get more than they have bargained for.
“I have these beautiful Toyo Toolboxes from Japan that are brilliantly made and incredibly useful. I always say you will never need to buy another tool box again in your life,” Eryn insists. “They won’t need another tool box, but will still come back to see what else I have because they know they can get something out of my shop that is of real quality and unusual.”
Wandering the aisles of the store you can expect to discover luxury perfume from Jorum Studio (which Eryn wears herself), Ryvoan knitwear (inspired by local landscapes), Niwaki gardening tools (from Japan that helped create the garden out the front of the shop), Fatso Chocolate (which regularly sparks lively debates about what is the best flavour amongst customers), and handmade ceramics from Studio Blomonge that are a hot favourite.
The eclectic mix ensures there’s something for everyone as regulars from the previous shop still return, but now share the space with younger and more design-conscious customers. “It has been so nice to watch completely different people interacting because of the shop. For me it is about keeping the building and community going,” Eryn says. “I take that role quite seriously.”
Keeping Yolk at the centre of the community was a priority from the start, with Eryn bringing on her best friend Callum Barrack, who owns Polka design studio, to help renovate the store.
Together they collaborated to create a space that lets people linger by using deliberately low cabinetry, creating bespoke seating areas near the counter and putting furniture on casters to open up the floor space on demand, meaning there is always room for one more.
“It comes across a bit homely but also unexpected,” says Eryn. “It was all purposeful to make it feel like a community space because speaking to the customers is the thing that lights me up and I most look forward to. I am still so chuffed going in everyday when I unlock the door and go in to start a new day.”
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