World’s oldest candy shop still selling treats from 1820s

By Charlie Fenton

The owner of the world's oldest candy shop says classic candies from the 1820s are still their best sellers after 199 years in business — including pear drops, bonbons, and humbugs.

The Oldest Sweet Shop was founded in Pateley Bridge, North Yorkshire, in 1827 and has since survived two world wars and a global pandemic.

And the time-warping store's current owner, young entrepreneur Ben Howie, 29, says his best sellers prove Britain's sweet tooth hasn't changed too much over almost two centuries.

Hard-boiled treats such as pear drops, humbugs, as well as midget gems, cola cubs, and rhubarb and custards, are still proving as popular as they did in the 1800s and 1900s.

But Howie, from Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, who took over the historic store in 2021, admits modern-day candies like Haribo gummy bears fly off the shelves too.

He said: "We sell all types of treats, but the traditional hard-boiled candies are by far our best sellers.

"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 favorites for a reason.

"So it seems the country's sweet tooth hasn't changed too much."

In 2014, the nostalgic store was named the oldest candy shop in the world by the Guinness Book of Records.

It is located in a 400-year-old building that seats only about 30 people at a time — customers have been known to travel from as far as Sydney and China for a glimpse.

Around 20,000 visitors call into the shop every year — which Howie says is the size of an average living room — which sits nestled at the top of the high street.

It has remained virtually unchanged, with large glass jars on dark wooden shelves and the original till, which was rescued by the shop's previous owner, Keith Tordoff, after he recognized it in an antique shop.

The business is family-run, with Howie's brother James, 21, also helping out behind the counter and with online sales.

James Howie said the shop is popular, as for many older customers it is like a "blast from the past."

He said: "There are candy shops everywhere, but you never find one like ours with old-fashioned jars, and the antique till.

"There is a lot of nostalgia in here.

"It isn't uncommon for customers to come in and be ruing over which candies 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."

The brothers are aware of the rising costs of running a business with one of the things they were forced to update was iconic 1-cent candies.

James Howie said: "We had to change the price just after COVID up to 5 cents, 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."

But Ben and James Howie have since built an online website where customers can place orders, which they say has really helped grow the business.

James Howie said his favorite candies are raspberry bonbons or Dolly Mix.

For Ben and James Howie, keeping the "important bit of history" alive is their main goal.

Ben Howie said: “Seeing the customers come in and be excited about the shop and the candies is great, it really excites me.

“Hopefully, we can keep going for another 200 years.”