Sweet shop opens after renovations

A couple are hoping to taste sweet success after opening a shop in Tenterden.

Sarah and Martin James are behind one of the newest addition to Tenterden High Street – 2n6.

The colourful sweet shop is a child’s paradise and stocks a vast range of tempting treats from American candy to tradition pocket money favourites, together with 44 pick ‘n’ mix varieties.

Opening the sweet shop has been a labour of love for the pair, who are originally from Swanley but relocated to Tenterden six years ago.

Sarah, 52, a former Tenterden Juniors’ teaching assistant, said that Martin and herself always liked the idea of opening a shop when they saw the former Save the Children outlet for sale.

They decided to make the commercial premises their home but the dream came close to collapse on the day they were due to exchange contracts when a rival bid was made for the unit.

The couple eventually triumphed when sealed bids were invited for the property and theirs was successful.

Sarah said: “We moved into the property in July 2018 and it had been in the ownership of Save the Children since 1980 so the premises needed a lot of work. It had no proper heating or lighting.”

The James’s poured tens of thousands into renovating the building, which dates back to 1864. “It was all lath and plaster and we had to strip it back to the bare brick,” said Sarah.

Martin, 52, came up with the shop’s name, which is a play on its location at number 26 High Street and a reference to two and six or 2s 6d in old money.

The building’s traditional exterior gives way to a blaze of colour inside. Sarah said she drew inspiration from the Memphis Group, Italian designers of the 1980s who used zany shapes, patterns and bright colours in their work.

Bold geometric flooring and wacky wallpaper are the backdrop for the sweet shop where a row of pastel-coloured stools faces the shop counter.

The seating has been designed with sweet parties in mind.