This is the latest in a regular series of Business Q&A features published weekly. This week, we spoke to Ben Howie, owner of the Oldest Sweet Shop in England, which is in Pateley Bridge.

Tell us in fewer than 30 words what your firm does.

We are specialists in confectionery – retro and traditional sweets – for the local tourist market of Pateley Bridge.

(Our bestseller is the traditional rhubarb and custard boiled sweets.)

What does it take to be successful in business?

Hard work, determination, and a lot of passion for what you do.

I took over the business in 2021. I'd come here as a child and loved it, so when it came up for sale, it was like a dream come true.

What drives you to do what you do every day?

For me it's the feeling that every sweet has a history behind it, but also, every customer has their own memory of those sweets.

We often get grandparents showing their grandchildren how they used to buy sweets.

We have one couple who come in every Sunday and always get the same things: Yorkshire mixture and sherbert lemons. They've been coming in for longer than I've been alive, and I'm 28!

What’s been the toughest issue your business has had to deal with over the last 12 months?

It's easily been the price increases in everything, but especially of sweets and confectionery.

I don't want to pass on those costs to the customers, and I do try to shield them from price increases by cutting back on other costs. But prices have nearly doubled and there's a limit to how much of it I can absorb. So I have to find a way of passing on some of those price increases, but without losing customers. It's a real challenge, but luckily, my customer base understands that everything's gone up.

Which other local firms do you most admire and why?

I really admire Paul Kendall and his family, who run Kendall's Farm Butcher's across the road. It's a great family business that's been going well over 50 years, which is really quite impressive.

Who are the most inspiring local leaders?

The prevoius owner of this shop, Keith Tordoff, has been quite inspirational, and instrumental in enabling us to continue the sweet shop and get it to where we are now.

He's also done lot for Pateley Bridge, helping it to win Britain in Bloom and the Great British High Street, and was even awarded an MBE in 2018 for services to business in Nidderdale.

What could be done locally to boost business?

We could do with more events aimed at tourists. That would bring more here, but they would also bring the community together. A lot of people get a lot out of things like that, and they're also great publicity for the Dales.

Our trade peaks in the summer, when the tourists come, although the online side peaks around Christmas, so we'll be busy over the coming weeks.

Best and worst things about running a business from Pateley Bridge?

The best thing is that it has a really good community – there's always someone there to help, and it's a nice environment to be in. I always thing I'm very lucky to be here.

What are your business plans for the future?

I'd like to grow the online side of the business, to allow everyone to experience the Oldest Sweet Shop in England, no matter where they are.

I also want us to maintain the shop, effectively as a living, working museum, so that it doesn't lose that character.

What do you like to do in your time off?

We have a small puppy, and I enjoy taking it for walks. I also like paddleboarding on the Nidd in Knaresborough, my hometown.

Best places to eat and drink locally?

The Sportsman's Arms, just up the dale, does an amazing pub lunch, and I love Olley's – they do a really nice pizza.

If you know someone in business in the Harrogate district and you'd like to suggest them for this feature, drop us a line at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.