The owner of the world's oldest sweet shop has revealed that classics from the 1820s, such as pear drops, bonbons, and humbugs, remain his best sellers. The Oldest Sweet Shop, which first opened its doors 199 years ago in Pateley Bridge, North Yorkshire, continues to thrive under the management of 29-year-old Ben Howie. According to him, Britain's taste for treats has not changed much since the shop's inception.
Traditional Sweets Still Flying Off the Shelves
Hard-boiled sweets from the 1800s and 1900s, including midget gems, cola cubs, and rhubarb and custards, are still popular among customers. Ben, who lives in Knaresborough and took over the store five years ago, admits that modern-day favourites like Haribo gummy bears also attract sweet-toothed customers. However, he emphasizes that traditional hard-boiled sweets are by far the best sellers.
"We sell all types of treats, but the traditional hard-boiled sweets are by far our best sellers," Ben said. "We have all different types from across different centuries, but it's the old ones people want. I guess you can't escape the classics; they are still the favourites for a reason. So it seems the country's sweet tooth hasn't changed too much."
A Historic Store with a Rich Legacy
The store was officially crowned the oldest sweet shop on the planet by the Guinness Book of Records in 2014. Located in a 400-year-old building, the shop can only accommodate about 30 people at a time. Customers have been known to travel from as far as Sydney and China to visit. The store has remained virtually unchanged, featuring its original till, which was rescued by previous owner Keith Tordof after he recognized it in an antique shop. Traditional glass jars still adorn the dark wooden shelves, with more than 20,000 people flocking to visit every year.
Ben runs the business with his brother James, 21, who helps with sales. James noted that the shop is particularly popular with older customers, as it offers a "blast from the past."
"There are sweet shops everywhere, but you never find one like ours with old-fashioned jars and the antique till," James said. "There is a lot of nostalgia in here. It isn't uncommon for customers to come in and be ruing over which sweets they want, like Fruit Salads or wine gums. They can be inside making up their minds for 20 minutes, and even when they come to the till they aren't sure."
Challenges and Adaptations
The brothers were reluctantly forced to raise the price of their traditional 1p sweet to 5p after the COVID pandemic, due to rising business costs. James expressed regret over the change, stating, "We had to change the price just after COVID up to 5p, which was a huge shame. It was a staple for a lot of people, but it just wasn't sustainable to be able to pay for the cost of the product and bills. It would have been great to keep, but we couldn't unfortunately."
To adapt, James and Ben expanded their business online by building a website where customers can place orders. This move has helped grow the business, which they hope to keep open for centuries to come. Their goal is to preserve this "important bit of history."
Ben added, "Seeing the customers come in and be excited about the shop and the sweets is great; it really excites me. Hopefully we can keep going for another 200 years."
