THE owner of a health store in Chester is delighted to have won a prestigious national magazine award.

Niki Davies, who runs the aptly-named Chester Health Store on Bridge Street Row, picked up the gong for ‘Best Health Store’ at the Better Retailing Magazine Awards.

They are run in conjunction with the Health Food Institute and are based on verdicts given by secret shoppers who rate stories on first impressions, layout, personal attention, check out and overall impression.

Niki, who opened the business in 2014, said the award had come at a time when she needed a lift.

She told The Chester Blog: “At first we thought it was a wind up! My mum died last summer and things have been tough for me, so this is an incredibly well timed boost.”

She previously she had a shop in Heswall but has never looked back since moving to Chester.

“It was the best move ever,” she said. “I just love the city!”

Niki has been working in the natural health sector for 25 years, rising from administration for a chain of local health stores to manager, and then opening her own business.

“I just love what I do,” she said. “I am a rubbish businesswoman but I love helping people. I’d rather they went away with nothing than a product I didn’t believe would help them. This shop has been open over three and a half years and its only in the last couple of months I’ve taken any kind of wage from it.”

The store is based in a historic building which dates back to 1660 and has an upstairs room used by therapists and workshops.

For more information visit www.chesterhealthstore.co.uk or search for the store on Facebook.