An Old-Fashioned Sweet Shop Offers a Trip Down Memory Lane
By CATHOLINE BUTLER
NEW WESTMINISTER - Lani Schultz, owner, manager and everything else in between, has been at Ye Olde Sweet Shoppe seven days a week, for the past 20 months...and she loves it! Lani said, "many of the customers say 'please stay, because this is the best thing that's happened in New West. Make sure you stay'. Many have told me they want to help me, even suggesting products for the shop."
LANI SCHULTZ of Ye Olde Sweet
Shoppe in New Westminster.
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To say the response to Ye Olde Sweet Shoppe was positive...would be an understatement. What business wouldn't like to hear those compliments! But, and if you will pardon the pun, Lani is a very sweet lady herself.
Speaking about her products, Lani said, "I specialize in British and old-fashioned candy. I also have sweets from South Africa, Germany, Australia and Austria. My old-fashioned ice cream is also very popular, especially the licorice flavour. People tell me they can't get it anywhere else."
Some of the unique flavours in the huge sweet jars are rhubarb and custard and blackcurrant and licorice, anise twist and African mints. It makes your mouth water just to read the names on the jars. Lani also carries sugar-free candies and products for diabetics.
In addition, the shop offers Laidlaws Scottish bread, baps, bridies and Jock's meat pies. There is a good selection of specialty bacon, such as Ayrshire bacon, sausages, black and white puddings, and Belfast ham. Among the delicacies are marmalades with Drambuie liqueur and jams. Some of the British newspapers include The Guardian Weekly, The International Express, The Weekly Telegraph, and a newspaper covering world football.
Ye Olde Sweet Shoppe is a small narrow premises but there is a little room at the back for expansion. Lani said, “what I’m planning next year, if I have the money, is to add a few tables and chairs and serve tea and scones with jam and clotted cream. Possibly once a week to get started and then see what the response is as customers have been asking about tea and scones.”
On the many occasions that The Celtic Connection has visited shops such as the Ye Olde Sweet Shoppe, it is remarkable the number of times the owner hears their customers say, “that product reminds me of home,“ or “I haven’t seen that item since I was a child” or “I remember granny giving me those sweets.” It’s a trip down memory lane for many of the customers.
Lani also told me that across the street from the shop there is a school that teaches Irish dancing and every evening after practice the students come in for treats. Now, a new generation will have memories of that wonderful sweet shop of their youth.
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Ye Old Sweet Shop is located at 732 Twelfth Street in New Westminister. For more information, call (604) 515-8839.
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