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Anyone who knows me knows I can't resist a good loyalty scheme. Whether it's the promise of a free coffee or a small gift, I'm the sort of person who'll happily pick up a stamp card even in a town I may never return to - just in case I do, and I'm one step closer to a freebie.

So you can imagine my delight when, on a recent trip to Ludlow, I stumbled across one of the most impressive loyalty schemes I've ever seen. The charming market town in Shropshire, close to the Welsh border, is around 28 miles from the arguably more famous town of Shrewsbury and sits neatly within a loop of the River Teme. Ludlow is widely recognised for its well-preserved medieval architecture, including over 400 listed buildings and its iconic Ludlow Castle. In fact, according to Jodie Deakin, the chair of Ludlow Chamber of Trade and Commerce and owner of local independent business, Eclectica, these are the things that usually attract visitors in the first place.

"One of the things I always say, if you come to the castle, stay for the day, because we are a tourist destination - there's plenty to do," Ms Deakin told me.

Ludlow Chamber of Trade and Commerce has coordinated an ingenious loyalty card scheme for many of its over 70 unique, locally owned shops set within historic Tudor and Georgian buildings, including clothing boutiques, food producers and specialist jewellers.

"If you shop in any of the participating shops, you get a stamp. And then when it's full, you hand it in. We don't police it," Ms Deakin said. "If you go and buy a diamond ring from Bensons and they want to stamp your card 100 times, that's on them, right? Hand it in!"

"Then, four times a year, so quarterly, we do a hamper draw, so three hampers at a time, and it's full of stuff from the participating shop and it is our way of saying thank you to those that choose to shop."

According to the Ludlow Guide website, shoppers "get rewarded for being cool, by shopping local!"

"The process is simple, spend £1 or more in any participating business (full list is below) and ask for a stamp. When the card is full, hand it in to one of those businesses, and your card will be included into a quarterley draw to win a hamper chock full of amazing goods donated by our local businesses, plus a few very cool Love Ludlow custom items."

One of the participating shops is Bodenhams, a family-fun business housed in a 600-year-old building in the heart of the town since 1860, making it one of the oldest stores in Britain. The shop, once owned by several prominent Ludlow families, was acquired by William Bodenham and has remained in his family ever since, now run by Monika Curry, who now steers the chamber's loyalty scheme, and her husband, Roger.

While its independent businesses run the show, branches of national chains that have set up shop in Ludlow are also allowed to take part, including Fat Face on Broad Street.

"I think the chains are buying into it. We know the local managers," Ms Deakin added. "Although it's a chain, it employs local people. They're going, 'hang on a minute, you know something we don't know.' While they don't have the fluidity that we do as independents, they can get involved."

Also involved is Ian Mills, owner of the family-run Broad Bean Delicatessen, which acts as Ludlow's local supermarket, selling everything from fresh soups, salads, cheeses and cured meats to leaf teas, coffee beans and nuts. While the business has been open for over 40 years, Mr Mills and his wife, Alice, bought the business in 2016, revamping and reviving it to "bring the focus strongly back to selling good food".

In 2025, Broad Bean was named 'Retailer of the Year' at the Slow Food England Awards.

Visitors who buy Abigail Humphries' incredible artwork at her two-year-old studio and gallery can also grab a stamp. Ms Humphries specialises in large-scale abstract figurative art, exploring human interactions and body language, using mixed media, acrylic and oils. When I visited, she had just been accepted to take part in Manchester Art Fair, set to take place this November.

I, for one, will most definitely be returning to Ludlow in the near future - if only to stock up on more delicious goodies and make a serious dent in my stamp card. The genuinely friendly, welcoming locals make it all the more reason to come back again soon.