Churchtown, a village on the northern fringe of Southport, is a haven for family-run businesses, offering a stark contrast to areas lined with large conglomerates. Instead, it is home to small, independent venues passed down through generations, drawing customers with queues out the door and people willing to travel for miles.
The village, dating back to early Anglo-Saxon times, is described as a place stamped in time, boasting thatched roofs, white-painted brick walls, brick-laid streets, and Victorian-style lampposts. Its vintage charm attracts visitors from afar to enjoy its classic offerings.
The Chocolate Shop's Sweet Success
Robert Swinden, a world-class chocolatier, has been delivering fine, handmade chocolates to the village for years through The Chocolates of Churchtown. People travel across the North West for the shop's extravagant and unique flavours. Robert worked as a pastry chef from 1990 before moving to confectionery in hotels, which led to worldwide travel, including working with Koko Black and Belgian friends from a chocolate line in Bruges.
He told the ECHO: "Bruges-style chocolates were the main focus. I worked with them for eight years, going into new shops and helping them open. My daughter was born in Australia and my wife's family are in Formby. Mine are scattered everywhere from here to New Zealand."
Returning to the UK in 2010, Robert returned to pastry and teaching. In 2016, he opened his first store in Ainsdale, originally named Ainsdale Fine Chocolate, which marked the start of the brand. He said: "I always knew I wanted my own place. I knew that since 2003 when I was with Koko Black. In between I did markets and food festivals, just to gauge what sort of interest there was and to practice."
After five years in Ainsdale, Robert spotted the current premises in Churchtown. He said: "It just looked like a chocolate shop. I believe the landlord changed, we couldn't get the air con we wanted in Ainsdale, a few other factors came up and we just decided to move." The move benefited from tourist footfall, but customers are "80 - 90% locals from the village." He added: "People come from all over. We get people travelling from Liverpool, Yorkshire and Lancashire. Quite a few Americans as well."
A New Chapter for Book Lovers
The village recently welcomed The Magpie's Tale, a new bookshop. Owners Mark Dickens and Emma Legan first connected as pen pals, and their friendship blossomed into romance over 35 years. They worked together at Waterstones but always wanted a bookshop of their own. Mark told the ECHO: "It's been a dream of ours. We looked around for a while and finally found a premises suitable to get started."
They opened The Magpie's Tale on Botanic Road on Saturday, August 1, with a resounding welcome from village residents. Mark said: "The response has been absolutely brilliant. We definitely wanted to bring something unique and the response has been great. We have had a lifelong passion for books and reading and spent most of our working lives among them in and around Southport."
The shop is furnished with reclaimed and repurposed furniture, and decorated with hand-painted touches, as Mark is also an artist and illustrator. Mark added: "To an extent, we're just a tiny cosy shop with reading chairs, but we're happy for people to come and enjoy the space."
Remedy and Penny's House Thrive
Sisters Suzanna Mawdsley and Katie Lingard now run Remedy in Churchtown, having taken over from previous owners. Remedy first opened in 2015 as a café and gin bar on Lord Street, expanding to Churchtown a year later. After years of growth, Susannah stepped away, closing some sites, but the Churchtown Remedy remains a success. Suzanna told the ECHO: "We'd worked for the previous owner for well over 10 years, and then they decided to sell."
She added: "We have a lot of regulars in the village. We're very community-based, and we know a lot of people by name. If someone doesn't come in for a few days, you notice it, which is really nice."
Zadee Chambers has been at the helm of Penny's House, a dog-friendly café, since July. She said the decision came after realising she had lost sight of her own ambitions while working in the corporate sector. She told the ECHO: "It's been a lifelong dream. Someone asked me quite recently, 'Who do I do it all for?' I was in a very stressful corporate job and, when I sat back, I realised I'd lost connection with my own dreams and aspirations."
Zadee said she has big plans for the future, including collaborations with other independent businesses in Churchtown and expanding the café's offering into the evenings. She added: "Everybody's welcomed me with open arms. I'm just a single person with a tiny family, and they've very generously given their time for free to help achieve my dreams and goals."
