Severn Sweets in Upton taking customers down memory lane

The owner of Severn Sweets says even people with dementia feel a spark of nostalgia in the old fashioned store.

Melissa Goodman opened the shop in Old Street two years ago and now says she wouldn’t dream of doing anything else.

“The reception from the town has been very good - it’s been humbling, really,” she said.

The shop has been a hit with children and adults alike (Image: NQ)

“I’d had to quit my job during lockdown and was looking for something else. It was during the third lockdown that the idea of running an old-fashioned sweet shop came up.

“When the old Stitchery became available, we came down and had a look, put in an offer and two weeks later signed the lease.

“I’ve lived in the town for a few years and wanted to give something back - this is my way of doing that, and now I wouldn’t do anything else.”

READ MORE: Argos confirms no plans to close Malvern store

The shop is popular with tourists as well as locals - Melissa says the weekend of the Upton Folk Festival broke all records.

“It’s lovely to see people taken back to their childhood - even people with dementia, who will start talking lucidly,” she said.

“One lady came in here with her mum, who she said had dementia. When her mum saw the blackcurrant and liquorice sweets, she just started talking.

There are hundreds of types of sweets to choose from in the shop (Image: NQ)

“The daughter said ‘thank you so much - she hasn’t been this lucid in six months’.

“This is not just a sweet shop, it’s a trip down memory lane. We have to pay the bills but this place isn’t about money - it’s about making people happy.”

Melissa said the amount of stock in the shop has grown exponentially since it opened.

“We started off with 30 jars - now we have more than 240, as well as sundry items.

“I’ve put a lot into it and while we have seen costs go up [because of the cost of living crisis], we’ve tried to keep prices as low as possible because it’s nice that people can afford a treat.”

Sorting through a large delivery this week, Melissa put out new lines including bubblegum kali, bubblegum bonbons and alphabet jelly letters.

“I always get excited about new lines coming in,” she said. “I’m like a kid in a sweet shop.”