Opies Waterdown offers beloved favourites
Shop sits in former Leylands space
It seemed like destiny that Andrea Parcey would be the manager of Opies Waterdown: Imported Brit- ish Grocery and Sweets.
She had been a customer of Ley- lands Fine British Foods — the business that formerly occupied the Opies space on Dundas Street East — for well over a decade and would always remark to the previous owners of the little shop that specialized in British fare.
“Every time I came in, I used to say, ‘Oh, I’d love to work in here. Who doesn’t want to be surrounded by chocolate?’ ”
When Opies’ owner Paul Halpin wanted to expand his Hamiltonbased Opies Quality Meats and the opportunity arose in Waterdown, the previous owners suggested Parcey help manage the new shop.
“We’re both from Liverpool,” Parcey said of her and Halpin.
“We grew up really close to each other, although we never met in England.”
In fact, they discovered they only lived a schoolyard apart.
“He was on one side of the school field and I was on the other.”
The first order of business was figuring out what to stock the shelves with, and Parcey was given the freedom to choose what she believed would sell.
“I just bought my childhood and put it in a shop,” she said. “I was like ‘Oh, I remember those, I love those — click, I love that — click.’ ”
The shop features Opies products such as fresh meat pies and fresh baked goods, along with the assortment of crisps (chips) and sweets that customers have come to expect from the little shop.
They are working to increase the inventory so the shelves will be packed with a variety of options.
In addition to what she has chosen, the customers have made requests for items and the shop is expanding favourite by favourite.
The shop, which was slated to undergo some renovations at the end of January, has always been a place to come visit and the manager said it’ll stay that way.
“I wanted to have it that you felt like you’re walking into a familiar place with familiar people and everybody knew you,” she said.
“You know, ‘Cheers,’ without alcohol.”