Here's where you can find the new Mr Simms sweet shop

Those with a sweet tooth in Salisbury are being told not to worry after Mr Simms Olde Sweet Shoppe on Blue Boar Row closed on Christmas Eve.

The popular sweet shop has moved premises to take over Hardy’s on Salisbury High Street and continues to sell all the usual favourites.

The local Mr Simms franchise has been in Salisbury for the past 14 years. Currently, the shop is owned by Sarah Hastings Mcmahon and Colin Mcmahon, who took over the Blue Boar Row store five years ago.

“My husband has always worked in retail, so we took on the shop and I ended up running it. It’s a lovely environment, you get to meet really nice people and customers are always happy when they are in a sweet shop,” said Sarah.

According to Sarah, Mr Simms took over some of Hardy’s stores during the lockdown when the chain (Hardy's) went into liquidation.

“This store was offered to us because it was in our franchise area. Originally, the idea was to keep them both. We are going to give the shop a facelift! The previous shop on Blue Boar Row was very olde worlde, but our new shop will be more upbeat and bright,” explained Sarah.

The new shop has a slightly larger offering due to a bigger store, and a brand new chocolate counter.

“We have brought in a chocolate counter in the back of the shop with chocolate truffles. We also offer milkshakes and ice creams. We have an American sweet range, and the traditional pick ‘n’ mix too.”

Sarah says that the best thing about working in a sweet shop is the customers.

“I love the customers - they are great. When you work in other retail shops you can, unfortunately, get some grumpy customers sometimes but here it’s just not like that - it’s lovely. We have a fantastic team around us, we are very fortunate.

“In the Blue Boar Row shop we used to get lots of lovely older ladies that came in, and because they get to know you, you become part of the community. They chat with you and tell you about the sweets and how they were given to them as children, which is really quite cute.

“Flying saucers used to be taken after tablets to get rid of the taste - it’s lovely listening to them and their stories about the sweets,” added Sarah.

Mr Simms are still open and have all your usual favourite sweets on offer.

“At the moment we have a pic ‘n’ mix offer on which is £8.99 for a kilo, or £5 for 500g of pic ‘n’ mix, come on down and say hello!”