During the tumultuous three years since the emergence of Covid, businesses across the county have faced a series of shocks - from lockdowns and staff shortages, to soaring bills and the cost of living crisis.

But some Kent high streets have emerged from the pandemic in rude health, thanks to a surge in people moving from London, along with changes to working patterns and shopping habits, as Rhys Griffiths and Brad Harper report...

After a bumper Christmas which saw shoppers queuing out the door and up the street, it is unsurprising to find butcher Dave McCaffrey wearing a smile.

His shop, Watson Neal & Sons, has seen demand soar. Indeed, the whole high street in Cheriton, Folkestone, has bounced back stronger than ever following the shock of the pandemic, according to data shared with KentOnline.

"It's been our busiest Christmas ever in this shop, but it did start from when the pandemic hit," he explains from behind the counter.

"You know, people didn't want to go to the supermarkets. So they started using us and realised that, hang on, there's proper meat about, you know, and it's just grown since then really.

"Every Christmas we've had since then as increased, up to this last one, so yeah they're using us.

"I don't know about all of the other shops - but we've seen a difference.

"We did even have people coming back and saying 'your chicken tastes like chicken'. Funnily enough, it's supposed to."

Analysis of mobile phone data from more than 500 UK high streets from 2019 to 2022, carried out by Placemake.io and Visitor Insights, has revealed Cheriton to be one of the Kent high streets that has most benefited from changing habits, with more people working from home and shopping locally.

Its footfall in 2022 was up 78% on 2019, the last comparable period prior to the start of the Covid crisis.

This puts it second in Kent in terms of town centres where visitor numbers are soaring.

It sits behind Rainham, in Medway, which researchers say has seen footfall increase by a staggering 93%.

Trent Straine-Francis co-runs Nutmegs Patisserie in Rainham High Street and he says the trend of people moving from London and working from home has provided a post-pandemic boost for trade.

"There was initially an increase in footfall," he said of the impact of Covid, "but with the cost of living crisis and household bills going up, consumer confidence goes down a little.

"But we’re still busy enough and it’s probably been about the same or maybe even busier [than before the pandemic].

"I would say a lot of clientele coming in are people working from home who are from London. People have been hit by the train strikes which have made a difference."

Changes wrought by the pandemic do not fit into one neat narrative - with some towns and cities benefiting more than others.

Larger town and cities which were previously heavily reliant on footfall from office workers suddenly saw trade collapse as lockdown sent many into home-working.

The latest statistics reveal the parts of Kent where footfall remains only mildly up in 2002 compared to 2019: Canterbury (up 6%), Maidstone (up 5%) and Whitstable (up 2%).

There is also a tale of two trends in Medway, where Rochester has actually seen footfall decline 9% in the same period.

Jo James, chief executive of the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, believes we are starting to see signs of a revival of the local high street after years of decline.

She said: "Retailers are benefiting from the change in working patterns, with so many businesses now offering total home-working or a hybrid option, which has afforded local residents the time to shop local.

"Additionally, high streets have certainly benefited from the recent postal strikes, particularly with the lack in confidence in pre-Christmas deliveries, it drove many into our town centres and away from online.

"To adapt and survive we have seen a change in the style and purpose of our town centres and high streets, with so many now becoming a place to connect, resulting in a rise in coffee shops and eateries.

"This new sense of purpose could be the catalyst to revive the life of the high street."

Back in Cheriton, and just a few doors down from Mr McCaffrey's butcher's shop, is Basil's Cafe & Deli.

Opened by owner Michele D'Cruz six years ago, the business has gone through a number of transformations to meet the challenges posed by changing circumstances in recent years.

"I think I'm on my third iteration of the business," she said.

"So what started off as mostly a sandwich bar with a couple of tables for sitting in, it's evolved from there to be a full 16-seater cafe, and then after Covid a shop with vastly reduced seating because of social distancing.

"I brought the shop into place because I wanted to keep trading, and I wouldn't have been able to continue trading for a considerable amount of time during the lockdown restrictions.

"With the grants that we were lucky to get, I put in place the shelving, bought the fridges and started adding some deli produce and some regular everyday kind of stuff as well.

"But my emphasis has always been on supporting and buying and using local produce, even before Covid it was always something I was passionate about."

Ms D'Cruz says she has seen her customers change over the years. Where previously many would drive to visit the cafe now she sees more and more local people coming on foot.

"I've found that mostly the people that come to me are people that can walk here," she said.

"I'm seeing quite a big increase in people that come here to shop and to buy quality produce, because that's what they like.

"Whether I see more or less, it's a difficult thing to say. What you always look at as a business is of course footfall, an increase in numbers, but it's increasing spend as well.

"That's what I've seen - people are spending more per head now than they used to."

And what would she say to people who have yet to discover the joys of shopping locally with independent businesses in Cheriton?

"The people are really friendly.

"It's got a real sense of community, you can pop in and get flowers, get coffee, get your nails done.

"There's so much you can do in Cheriton - you don't really need to go anywhere else. You can get absolutely everything you need on this high street."

Tracy Bond, the owner of Kitchen Culture in Rainham, echoes the benefits of a thriving local high street and its importance for the community.

"The precinct does seem to be busier and more bustling that it used to be," she said.

"The A2 is being used an awful lot more so I guess that could be bringing more people into the area.

"We have Cafe Nucleus opening in April which will hopefully bring more people. Poundland is new which would attract customers as well.

"I like that Rainham has a butchers and little stores you can do your weekly shopping in. It has a nice community.

"You see the same faces everyday - it’s not villagey but it does have a community feel and is quite safe."

While researchers Placemake.io and Visitor Insights gathered data from most Kent high streets, places like Broadstairs, Dover and Deal were not included.