Look local: Eye care in city of cider

Perhaps best known for its ‘golden amber’ cider-making, the cathedral city of Hereford has been the market and commercial centre for Herefordshire farming communities for hundreds of years. Although the county itself remains rural, Hereford city centre is benefitting from the development of a new retail sector and university.

‘Patients in Hereford tend to travel far and wide to visit the practice,’ says Specsavers Hereford director Darren Smith. ‘We have a mix of English, Welsh and Scots as well as a large Eastern European contingent. This diversity is embraced locally and leads to a cosmopolitan feel.’

Hereford’s main industries help add to the diversity of patients. ‘We look after the eyesight of farmers who provide the local brewing plant with the hops for their beer, and more importantly the apples to all of the local cider mills. As Hereford is home to the SAS, we regularly welcome our elite servicemen ensuring they are fit for battle.’