SWEET & SOUR Candyman closes up due to facilities issue
Council regulations have left a bitter taste in the mouth of oneWishaw sweet shop owner.
Marc Welsh realised his dream when he opened up The Candyman on Kirk Road in May this year.
But after around eight weeks of trading, Marc was contacted by the council to say that he had to make a number of changes to his business, including fitting a toilet and installing new sinks.
Since then, Marc claims he has been in a constant battle with the council and feels he is stuck at a crossroads with them.
Speaking to the Wishaw Press he said: “I’ve been in a constant battle with North Lanarkshire Council to continue trading. “They asked me to fit a toilet and install sinks.
“After this, they came back with more requests such as asking me to rip out my carpet.
“It was always one step forward and two steps back, I didn’t know what the problem was.
“There are lots of burger vans and other cafes which have similar facilities to us that are still trading.
“I’m a local lad who wants to offer something new to local people. Opening my own shop was a dream of mine and now it is being taken away.”
After the Wishaw Press contacted the council, a spokesperson explained that Marc failed to apply in the right timeframe to register as a food business.
They said: “New food businesses must register with the council 28 days before trading starts, to allow us time to carry out a food safety inspection of the business before it opens its doors to the public.
“However Mr Welsh did not contact us until the end of July when he had already been trading for some weeks.
“Mr Welsh was advised that he could continue to sell wrapped sweets but to sell ice-cream and slush drinks, he would need to install a sink and toilet facilities with the appropriate ventilation standards to comply with food hygiene legislation.
“A Remedial Action Notice was served on Mr Welsh to prevent him selling the high risk foods which were in stock at the shop.
“Ice-cream and slush drinks are high risk foods in terms of food hygiene legislation and require washing facilities and strict hygiene procedures to prevent product contamination and subsequent infections.
“A n y n e w f o o d b u s i n e s s must ensure t hey have all necessary facilities in place before trading, and our officers provide one-to-one support, advice and guidance to ensure businesses operate safely and in line with all legislation.”