FAQs
We have tried to answer as many questions as possible below. However, if you are still struggling to find an answer to your question, please do email us at books@mainstreetbooks.co.uk and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Opening Hours
Tues to Sat: 10am to 5pm
Sun: 11am to 4.30pm
Please note the café closes half an hour before the rest of the shop
Travel to us by
Train: https://www.thetrainline.com/ – (closest station is Tweedbank)
Bus: https://www.bordersbuses.co.uk/ (there is a bus stop just down the road from us in St Boswells)
We have parking for 16 cars (fewer in summer when we use the courtyard for outdoor tables). Please note that space is quite limited in our lower car park (behind the barn), better suited to smaller cars.
Bikes – we have a bike rack alongside the barn in our courtyard.
Disabled parking – there is a disabled parking space adjacent to the main entrance within our courtyard.
We do recommend booking a table in our café if you know when you’ll be visiting. It can get very busy, especially during holiday periods.
We only accept bookings during working hours and by phone – 01835 824087.
Unfortunately we do not accept bookings via email or social media channels as this can result in accidental over-booking.
We are happy to welcome well-behaved dogs into our bookshop and café. (Please note, dogs are not allowed on customers’ laps in the café.)
Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed in the deli/home departments as food is displayed at ‘nose height’.
Do you host author events?
Yes, we host a carefully-curated author events programme throughout the year.
Please click here to see current events.
Where do you host author events?
We use several venues for our events: the bookshop, the barn (above the deli), St Boswells Village Hall, plus other larger venues in the Borders including the Tait Hall in Kelso.
Book Subscriptions FAQs can be found on all subscription product pages. They are at the bottom of the page so make sure to scroll down.
The bookshop and café have step-free access via the entrance under the archway in our courtyard (doorway is 142 cm wide). The deli can be accessed step-free, however, there are internal steps so our staff will facilitate the needs of disabled customers on a one to one basis.
There is a disabled toilet in the bookshop and café (doorway is 65cm wide).
We have outside tables during the summer season – usually late May to September, but please call to check.
Yes, you can buy from our range of Book Subscription. We also sell Mainstreet Merch and Gift Vouchers.
Alternatively, you can buy books online from our partner, Bookshop.org. They fulfil your order directly and the books do not come from our shop stock. If you would like to order a book for collection from the shop, please email us on books@mainstreetbooks.co.uk or call us on 01835 824087.
If you would like to purchase any non-perishable deli items or homeware to be shipped within the UK, please email books@mainstreetbooks.co.uk.
You can join our mailing list via the Newsletter Sign-up box at the bottom of the page.
Homeware & Deli – RETAIL ASSISTANT
Part Time position (inc. weekend working)
Are you looking for a job that means you get to work with beautiful products and eat cheese all day? Are you interested in the story behind the product? Do you believe customer care is king? Then we would like to hear from you. We are looking for someone who enjoys the buzz and hard work of a busy shop environment. For the right candidate, the role is likely to expand over time. The focus of this role is our Homeware department, however the successful candidate will be trained for our Deli and expected to cover both spaces solo on occasion.
The Role:
- Day to day Home & Deli retailing including serving customers, operating goods in, processing customer orders etc.
- Assisting with overall management of the Home department
- Ensuring Home & Deli is always clean, tidy and safe for staff and customers
- Support the visual presentation of Home
- Assisting with efficient stock management
Your Skills:
- At least 1 years’ experience in a customer-facing role (retail preferred)
- Excellent customer service instincts essential
- Comfortable using or willing to learn digital inventory systems
- Strong organisational and time-management skills with the ability to multi-task and work well with a busy team
- An enthusiastic interest in homeware, cheese, wine and other Mainstreet products
- Flexible, pro-active and motivated with an understanding of how small businesses work
- Able to manage sorting, packing and unpacking boxes; some heavy lifting required when receiving and transporting boxes of products
- The capacity to solve problems quickly and creatively, strong attention to detail
Hours: min 20hrs per week (inc. weekends)
Please send a CV and one-page cover letter to Rosamund de la Hey rosamund@mainstreetbooks.co.uk by 29th May). Applications sent after this deadline will not be taken into consideration. Please note that we expect to receive many applications for this role and we will not be able to contact unsuccessful applicants.
Ideal Start Date: July
No, however, you can find second-hand bookshops in nearby Melrose or Kelso. Further afield, we recommend Barter Books in Alnwick or The Bookshop in Wigton.
We are a small bookselling and buying team and cannot respond to every submission. However, if we decide to stock your book, we will be in touch. Thank you for understanding.
As booksellers, we are very lucky to be given lots of advance reading proofs by publishers. Unfortunately, this means we always have a very long ‘to be read’ pile of books so we are unable to read unsolicited manuscripts.