17-year-old Ginger Downes is moving her business to the Teesside premises which has been shut for 18 years
14:31, 19 Mar 2026Updated 07:04, 20 Mar 2026
Young businesswoman Ginger Downes is breathing life into a disused Normanby shop(Image: UGC)
A young entrepreneur is growing her business by planting it firmly in a former fruit and veg shop which has been closed for 18 years.
Ginger Downes, who runs Top Tan Normanby, is set to breath new life into the village’s former grocery shop, Healthy Choice, on West Street and plans for it to become a one-stop beauty outlet complete with beautician and hair salon.
The 17-year-old took over running Top Tan in Normanby Road last year at the age of 16 and when she spotted the West Street premises were for sale, she decided it would be a good fit.
But, she said a lot of work is being done to transform the premises into West Street House – where she will run her business from. Ginger, a former Nunthorpe Academy pupil, said she hopes bringing the old shop back to life will be a big boost to the community.
She said: “The shop is currently still under renovation and is expected to be completed around the middle of next month. The business has been part of the local community for many years, and after being closed, it’s now being fully renovated and brought back to life.
“I’m really excited to reopen and welcome customers back.”
Ginger, who lives with her family in Stainton, first began working in Top Tan Normanby after leaving school. She said she had only been there a few weeks when the former owner was talking about not have enough time to run the shop, which is currently above Oscar’s Turkish Barbers.
So, with the help of her parents, Ginger seized the opportunity to buy the business, and despite her young age and being thrown in at the deep end, she soon learned the ropes and business has thrived.
She said: “The new shop had been empty for so many years. And, one day when me and my mam were walking past we saw a for sale sign. It seemed like a great idea to buy it.”
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