Selling Candy for 200 Years

What makes the oldest candy shop in England so successful?

A visitor looks at a candy display in the window of The Oldest Sweet Shop.

Life was very different 200 years ago, but some things never change. People loved candy then as much as they do now. A store called The Oldest Sweet Shop is proof of that. It’s been selling many of the same candies since it opened in 1827, making it the oldest sweet shop in England.

Located in Pateley Bridge, England, The Oldest Sweet Shop still stocks candy varieties that people loved nearly 200 years ago—like striped hard candies called humbugs. Some other candies, like bonbons, kola cubes, and rhubarb & custards, have been available at the shop for decades. There’s also licorice, chocolate, fudge, and jellybeans. Although the shop stocks more modern candy as well, the commitment to old-school treats is what keeps customers coming back.

“We have all different types [of candy] from across different centuries, but it’s the old ones people want,” Ben Howie told SWNS. Howie owns the store and runs it with his brother, James. “I guess you can’t escape the classics. They are still the favorites for a reason.”

The Oldest Sweet Shop is in a building that is hundreds of years old.

The shop, which is in a nearly-400-year-old building, hasn’t changed much since it opened. Large glass jars on wooden shelves hold tempting treats of different shapes and colors.

“It isn’t uncommon for customers to come in and be [thinking] over which sweets they want,” James Howie told SWNS. “They can be inside making up their minds for 20 minutes, and even when they come to the [counter] they aren’t sure.”

About 20,000 people visit the shop every year. Some of them come from as far away as Australia and China. And it’s no wonder. Candy never goes out of style!

NEWS EXTRA

The Grandmother of Juneteenth

Opal Lee prepares to speak during a Juneteenth concert at the White House in 2023.

On June 19, 1865, General Gordon Granger arrived in Texas to tell the state’s enslaved people they were free. It was two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation had freed all enslaved people in the South. In Texas, June 19 became known as Juneteenth. Juneteenth is now a national holiday, thanks to a retired teacher named Opal Lee.

In 2016, at the age of 89, Lee set out to walk from her home in Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C. Her goal was to gather support for making Juneteenth a national holiday. Lee walked 2.5 miles per day. This is because it took two and a half years for the enslaved people of Texas to receive the news that they were free.

The walk was the start of a long effort. Lee eventually collected 1.5 million signatures and presented them to Congress. In 2021, lawmakers passed a law declaring Juneteenth a national holiday, and President Joe Biden signed it into law.

In 2024, Opal Lee was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States. Now known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” Lee will turn 100 in October 2026.

“To [be] 100 years old, almost, and be able to tell some young people how it used to be so that it never happens again…I’m as proud as I can be,” Lee told CBS19 in Texas earlier this year.

Fun Fact

Ichiwa opened more than 1,000 years ago. Today, the shop is located in this building.

The world’s oldest candy shop opened in 1000 CE, making it more than 1,000 years old! Located in Japan, Ichiwa sells only one thing: a sweet rice cake called mochi.

Make Your Own Hard Candy!

It’s not too hard to make hard candy! All you need is sugar, water, and corn syrup. (You and a grownup can find exact amounts in a cookbook or online.) You can also add mint extract or other flavors.

With adult supervision, bring everything to a boil in a pot. Use a candy thermometer to measure the temperature. Once the mixture reaches about 300 degrees Fahrenheit (150 degrees Celsius), pour it into a pan to cool.

The candy will harden as it cools. Cut it into bite-sized pieces while it’s still soft but cool enough to handle. Then toss all the pieces with powdered sugar so that they don’t stick together.

Celebrate Juneteenth!

© Niday Picture Library/Alamy, © Tom Williams—CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images, © Michael Macor/The San Francisco Chronicle—Hearst Newspapers/Getty Images, © Paul Weaver/SOPA Images—LightRocket/Getty Images; Photo composite Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

The top left photo shows a Juneteenth celebration in the year 1900. The rest of the photos show modern-day celebrations.

June 19 is a federal holiday called “Juneteenth” in the United States. Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when U.S. soldiers informed enslaved people in Texas that they were free.

You can learn more about Juneteenth and how it’s celebrated at Britannica.

WHAT'S THE WORD?

sweet tooth

Part of speech:

noun

Definition:

: a liking for sweet foods

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“In the News: Selling Candy for 200 Years.” Britannica School, Encyclopaedia Britannica, 14 June 2026. https://news.eb.com/level1/selling-candy-for-200-years. Accessed 15 June 2026 [Replace this date with today’s date.]