End of an era as well-known Sunderland fruit and veg grocer retires
“I’ll be sad to see it go, I’ve met so many people over the years and made some great friends,” says a city centre stalwart as he packs up his apples for the final time.
Bennet Cooney, known as Benny, has been serving fresh fruit and veg to the people of Sunderland for decades, working in the old Park Lane Market stall, which ran for 30 years and, for the past 20, at the stall next to the main train station entrance.
After Saturday, November 1, the last day of trading, Benny will be able to turn off his daily 4.30am alarm to go to the fruit market to enjoy some much-deserved retirement instead.
And the 68-year-old’s retirement from Cooney’s Fruit and Veg heralds the end of an era in the city, with the stall closing altogether.
A sixth-generation fruiterer, Benny’s stall is the last outdoor fruit and veg stall in the city centre, with a history that dates back to the war years.
Benny’s grandad, Harry Greenwell, established the family business, following in the footsteps of his ancestors who had also worked in the trade.
After Harry set up a stall on a bomb site in Union Street just after WWII, Cooney’s would go on to be a booming business across Sunderland.
Benny’s mam Shirley, Harry’s daughter, worked on the bomb site stall with her dad and would go on to open two Cooney’s shops in Hetton, as well as one in Easington Lane.
Her brother, Richie Greenwell, meanwhile, set up branches in Villette Road and Jacky Whites.
The family also set up a barrow in Market Square, as well as the Park Lane Market Cooney’s, where Benny started in the trade.
“It was unbelievable how busy the Park Lane stall was,” recalls Benny.
Carrying on the family business, he went on to establish the Cooney’s stall in front of the old Binns building, which has been open six days a week ever since, even keeping people well fed during the Covid years.
“I will be sad to see it go, but it’s time to get on with life,” said Benny who will be spending his retirement enjoying his caravan and spending time with family, including nine grandchildren.
Speaking about the reaction to his retirement, Benny said: “The locals have been devastated, especially the older ones who might only want a carrot and two potatoes, which you can’t do in the supermarkets, so they rely on us. We don’t mind how small the order is, even if it’s one sprout.”
This Saturday, November 1, is your last chance to buy from Cooney’s. It will be trading from 9am until 4pm instead of the usual 4.30pm so Benny can enjoy a drink at the William Jameson with customers who want to take him for a pint.