Keith Tordoff has all his teeth, which might seem an unusual detail to offer until one learns that the 63-year-old Yorkshireman owns and operates “The Oldest Sweet Shop” in England. “I’ve got a great relationship with our dentist,” he smiles brightly.
The shop, located in Pateley Bridge, North Yorkshire, has been verified by the Guinness World of Records (2014) as the oldest continuous sweet shop trading in the same premises in the U.K., dating to 1827, and in a building built in 1661. It’s been in the Tordoff family for 25 years.
Located on the tiny town’s colourful High Street, it’s a classic nook that serves as both a quirky and quaint candy store and a repository of memories and dreams – a sentiment not lost on its owner.
“Sweets, like a piece of music, are also a memory,” says Tordoff, adding, “There used to be lots of sweets shops around, one on every corner in this country, (but not so much anymore).”
With between 150 and 200 types of candy in stock at any one time, Tordoff notes that many of them date to an earlier age in Britain, with some older customers bringing in children or grandchildren for a taste of nostalgia.
“We had a lady come in last year who was 90 years old, and she last came in when she was five,” Tordoff recalls. “She actually said, (the shop) hasn’t really changed.”
Displayed in rows upon rows of original traditional glass jars – and rung up on an antique cash register amidst a plethora of memorabilia – there are old fashioned mint humbugs, barley sugar, lemonade fizzballs, licorice, Pontefract cakes, pear drops, sugared almonds, fudge, and “good old fashioned Yorkshire mixture,” which always includes a coveted “fish.”
The sweets come from across the U.K., many made specially for the shop – often by the original makers, such as his marzipan teacakes, produced by the same company since the 1850s from an original recipe. And Tordoff tests them all for quality (hence the need for a good relationship with his dentist).
In time-honoured custom, clients can try out the flavours before they buy, and kids can make up their own assortment in a traditional paper (no plastic!) grab bag.
The shop’s best seller? Rhubarb & custard hard candies. Tordoff’s favourite? Milk teeth gums (strawberry & vanilla flavour only!) – an addiction his wife can always spot, he jokes, thanks to the powder sugar residue on his lips when he sneaks a snack.
Customers are locals, visitors to the town, even some celebrities. “We can’t talk about royals, but we do mail order, so I’ll just say that,” he laughs. Robbie Coltrane (Harry Potter’s Hagrid) once filmed in the shop.
Tordoff is also a walking billboard for the town of Pateley Bridge, a clean, safe “hidden gem” filled with great bakeries and butcher shops (which offer up his second addiction, pork pies) and a host of shops that comprise a “great traditional High Street.”
For all his efforts – local cheerleader, being one of the last of a dying breed, and role as a veritable encyclopedia of the art of candy making – Tordoff was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2018, an honour based on his “contributions to business and the community” and clearly his proudest moment.
“Keith is a great example of someone who goes above and beyond putting something back into the community and making a real difference,” Tim Ledbetter, Vice Chairman of the Nidderdale Chamber of Trade, said at the time.
And what better base for Tordoff to stage his efforts from than the U.K.’s oldest candy store?
“It’s selling sweets, it’s happiness, it’s a nice atmosphere, and everybody who walks in the door is cheerful” Tordoff muses.
Sweet!