CLOSE UP: With Nina as she brings Sweet Memories and vintage style to Hadleigh
By Derek Davis
16th Oct 2020 | Local News
Imagine having a job where you are literally like a kid in a sweet shop, well Nina Angell-French does and she talks to Nub News about invoking Sweet Memories, making a dream come true in style, and a dearth of chocolate peppermint creams.
Nina is the owner of Sweet Memories sweet shop and Sweet Memories Vintage, a clothing store with a bygone thread running through her selection of dresses, jackets, cut off jeans and stylish accessories.
Well positioned in Hadleigh High Street the bubbly owner talks excitedly about the past, present and future, even during these straitened times.
From the old-fashioned scales, weighing out quarters of your favourite sweets from a nostalgic age, out of glass bottles where the labelling is simple but effective, Sweet Memories is an Aladdin's Cave of joy, and even if you are diabetic, there are sugar free treats to savour.
It was love at first sight for Nina, and when the time, and price was right, she took the lunge and does not regret it for a moment and childhood dream came true a little more than year ago.
"When I was little there was a sweet shop at the end of our road where me and my brother used to go," Nina said. "So as soon as I walked in here, it took me back to my childhood.
"I know it sounds cliched but it was exactly that and it is that feeling, that atmosphere, I want to keep. I don't have any of the newer, horrible other kids sweets, like brain lickers and things. I have parma violets and love hearts, all the old fashioned sweets.
"I love sweets, I try everything before I stock them so I know what to tell the customers."
Buying a sweet shop was quite a departure for Nina who had been studying midwifery at Suffolk University but gave that up to satisfy a craving even deeper than a love of sugary treats.
"It was complete change," she said. "I wanted to be my own boss and did not want that huge responsibility that comes with being a midwife. It was scary times for me. I just wanted something all of my own so I started to look for businesses for sale.
"I had my eye on the shop for quite a while. I did my research on the shop and the town and I could see it was a thriving little town and went for it.
"I took a while to make sure but during that period the price went down and I jumped at it.
"Every day I come in and I'm ohh 'hello little shop' but I love it. I love it when people come in and see all the jars and ask have you got this, have you got that, and I usually have. That is so nice because that is exactly how I felt when I first came in here."
The only request stumping Nina at the moment is for chocolate peppermint creams. She said: "People go mad for them, I even had someone buy a whole jar as soon as we reopened, as they had been walking past, seeing the jar and pining for the.
"But they have disappeared off the radar, and I cannot get any from anywhere." Those treasured products aside, Nina is delighted to see her customers back and added: "I love having a chat with all my regular customers and they go off happy. It was brilliant until lockdown, then now, like everyone, we are just trying to get by." Fortunately Halloween is on its way, and then it will be Christmas, so there is a lot to look forward to, along with expanding the recently opened Sweet Memories Vintage in an old storeroom above the sweet emporium This has been another wish come true for the lover of a bygone era and she added: "I have been gathering clothes, handbags, gloves, all sorts, for ages. I have friend who has a a market stall in Greenwich and she keeps an eye out for me too. "I'm manically trying to save to be able to go to this big wholesaler who does individual garments you can hand pick, but there is a minimum spend." Nina is also a mum of four, two boys two girls, with husband Joel, who is a health and safety instructor and they live in East Bergholt so you can juggling to her list of skills. "It is a lovely commute to work between the fields, we are lucky really," she said. Interview and photos done, I have to admit I could not resist and asked for a quarter of pineapple chunks. Nina rose to the challenge and after spending the best pound in a while I left, knowing full well I will be back for more. Meanwhile, if anyone knows were Nina can source some chocolate peppermint creams then get in touch at Sweet Memories. on our Local List directory.- Scroll right on top image for more pictures.
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