The Oldest Sweet Shop in England, located on the High Street in Pateley Bridge, has been trading continuously since 1827, a milestone officially recognised by Guinness World Records in 2014.

The business operates from a building that dates back to 1661, making the premises themselves more than 360 years old.

The Oldest Sweet Shop in England, located on the High Street in Pateley Bridge (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

Many of the original features remain intact, contributing to what reviewers describe as an atmosphere “as rich and layered” as the sweets lining its shelves.

The historic setting has become a key part of the shop’s appeal, drawing visitors from across the UK and further afield.

Over the years, the North Yorkshire shop has attracted significant national and international attention. It has featured on television alongside Paul Hollywood on BBC One, Nigel Slater on the BBC, Alan Titchmarsh on ITV and Robbie Coltrane on ITV. It has also appeared on programmes including BBC Breakfast and Yorkshire: Great and Small.

Its reputation has extended beyond television, with coverage in publications such as National Geographic, The Times, The Guardian and Good Food Magazine.

Inside, shelves are stocked with jars of traditional confectionery, offering a range of sweets that span generations.

Many of the products are still made using 19th-century recipes, with the owners stating that sweets are boiled in copper pans “the way sweets should be made”.

An original pre-decimal cash till, once used for pounds, shillings and pence, remains inside.

Visitor reviews frequently highlight the sense of nostalgia associated with the experience.

One Tripadvisor reviewer wrote: “A lovely old shop with ‘old-fashioned’ sweets that children born in the 1960s and onwards will fondly remember.

“Luckily, there are still shops selling sweets from yesteryear.”

Another said: “Sherbet pips and jazzies, need I say more? Jars for all tastes and desires, loved the shop.”

Other visitors have commented on the atmosphere as much as the confectionery itself.

One reviewer said: “Old and dusty it might be, but it has atmosphere.

“Great selection. Worth a visit.”

Another aptly described it as “a sweet experience”.

The beach cafe at Hunmanby Gap near Filey has been described as a “hidden gem” by visitors, often raved about for its “stunning” views and “fabulous” treats.

In fact, one has even hailed it the “best” cafe on the North East coast, while another shared it is somewhere you “must visit” when in the area.

Hunmanby Gap’s beach cafe which has an impressive 5/5 food hygiene rating at the time of writing, has also been praised for its standout foodie options including “tasty” full English breakfasts, and Victoria sponge cakes said to “easily beat all the others”, according to a customer.

Just one of the new menu additions this year is the gourmet scotch eggs provided by BriggsBakes & Makes.

They can be served on their own as a mid-beach walk snack or enjoyed as part of a sit down lunch with salad and chips.

The coastal eatery which offers impressive sights of Filey Brigg and Bempton cliffs is dog-friendly and opened for the 2026 spring and summer season at the end of March.

It recently had a shoutout from a local travel content creator thanks to its quirky sandcastle buckets filled with chips.

‘Hidden gem’ North Yorkshire beach cafe serving chips in sandcastle buckets

On Instagram, @littlevikingsyorkforkids which describes itself as an “insider guide to the best of York for kids” visited the beach cafe and commended it as a “hidden gem and one of our favourite places on the coast for a simple lunch”.

The social media account shared it’s “the only place we know that serves chips in a bucket you can keep, and we always seem to end up there at the end of summer.”

It added: “The chips are delicious and a bargain for £3.50, but we didn’t have room for the incredible looking ice cream in a bucket.

“It’s all good fuel for a walk along one of North Yorkshire’s most beautiful and unspoilt beaches, which are even nicer outside the busy holidays.”

Over on Tripadvisor, the beach cafe at Hunmanby Gap currently has a “good” 4.1/5 rating based on 200 reviews – 112 of which are rated as “excellent”.

This visitor commented: “Can’t believe I’ve only just discovered this wonderful place.

“Great service, great value lunch and beautiful views. Walked along the beach from The Bay.”

A second person wrote: “What a hidden gem this cafe above the beach is.

“Friendly polite staff and the most amazing tasting fresh strawberry victory sponge very reasonable price too.

“Highly recommended and will visit again definitely. Stunning views beautiful scenery.”

Another shared: “The most beautiful setting overlooking the sea.

“Stunning views with fabulous treats in store. Had a tasty breakfast followed with a piece of Victoria sponge!

“The sponge was the absolute BEST I have ever experienced, light and delicious!

“I have tasted Victoria sponge all over the UK and THIS easily beats off ALL the others!

“Imagine? Finding the most delicious cake in such a fabulous setting?

Is a Victoria sponge your go-to sweet treat? (Image: Tripadvisor)

“Well, you won’t be disappointed. Fresh strawberries! Fresh, thick cream with a light dusting of icing sugar on the top of the sponge.

“So good, had to have a second slice. Please try this special cafe; you won’t be disappointed.”

Someone else put: “The best cafe on the east coast ! Beautiful setting , such amazing views , the loveliest staff and food is home cooked and tasty !

“Make sure you have Cash with you . This place is somewhere you must visit when in this area.”

Meanwhile, one happy customer posted: “What a beautiful setting. We had just walked from Speeton to Humamby Gap and were ready for a coffee.

“The beach cafe was just the perfect spot for this.

“Great views, good and friendly service and very dog friendly with bowls of water provided.”

It’s advised customers should have cash when ordering from Hunmanby Gap’s beach cafe and to use the toilets located in the nearby car park.

Have you discovered this “secret” foodie spot near Filey? Let us know in the comments below.

Ralf Little will be taking part in a cook-off when he enters the famous Great British Bake-Off tent.

The actor is the latest famous face to enter the tent to raise money for research into cancer.

He will be joined by Mark Wright, Emmett J Scanlan, Nella Rose, Mutya Buena.

Ralf, who attended Bolton School said earlier this year: “Looking forward to joining British Bake off for The Great Stand Up To Cancer Bake Off in the spring on Channel 4.

“Here’s hoping for a Paul Hollywood handshake.”

Ralf Little who portrays DI Neville Parker, in Death In Paradise

The 2026 series of the celebrity edition of The Great British Bake Off has been airing weekly since March 22, and has seen stars including Molly-Mae Hague, JoJo Siwa and Vicky Pattison compete inside its tent.

The Death in Paradise star will be back in the North West this summer when he the lead role of secret service agent Alec Leamas in the stage adaptation of John le Carre’s The Spy Who Came In From The Cold.

The 45-year-old, known for The Royle Family, has recently appeared in Will And Ralf Should Know Better, which follows him and his Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps co-star Will Mellor navigating life as middle-aged men.

Ralf will front the cast in the production’s UK tour which kicks off in March this year, with shows at The Lowry Theatre.

Set at the height of the Cold War, the novel follows a disillusioned British intelligence officer, who is forced to carry out one last operation in Berlin.

It is the first novel by Le Carre to have been adapted for the stage, having premiered with a sold-out production at Chichester Festival Theatre in 2024 before taking to London’s West End.

Ralf started studying medicine before leaving to concentrate on his acting career.

He’s big break came when he was offered was offered the role of Antony Royle in the BBC sitcom The Royle Family.

The Great Celebrity Bake-off for Stand Up to Cancer airs on Channel 4 at 7.40pm today.

The former Tory peer – who defected to Reform UK last year – accused migrants of “jumping the queues” of public services “to the detriment of local people in our own communities”.

Millionaire Malcolm Offord was branded a “chancer” during the first live TV debate of the Holyrood election campaign tonight.

During a heated discussion over immigration, Greens co-leader Ross Greer hit out at the leader of Reform UK in Scotland after he accused migrants of “jumping the queues” of public services “to the detriment of local people in our own communities”.

Offord, a former Conservative peer, made millions as a merchant banker before defecting from the Tories to join Nigel Farage’s right-wing populists last year.

Greer told a BBC audience in Paisley: “He is an absolute chancer. This is a failed Tory minister who gave the Tory Party £200,000 and then they gave him a seat in the House of Lords and ministerial office – I’m sure that was totally coincidental.

“He was part of that failed Tory government, the former leader of Reform in Wales is currently doing a 10-year jail sentence for taking Russian bribes, they are not the answer to any of the challenges in Scotland.”

READ MORE: Scottish independence referendum won’t happen ‘even if SNP wins majority’, says Wes StreetingREAD MORE: Anas Sarwar pledges to end rough sleeping in five years if he becomes First Minister

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also blasted Offord and told the audience he had spent tens of thousands of pounds “questioning my loyalty to my country”.

Sarwar said: “Let’s not fall for the trap that Malcolm Offord wants you to fall into. He wants to use migration not to make our country better, but to play a dog whistle and divide our country.”

He continued: “And let him also own the fact that he spent tens of thousands of pounds questioning my loyalty to my country, Scotland. And when he did that, yes, he attacked me, but he attacked anyone from a migrant background in this country.

“My family came to this country in the 1940s. Scotland has seen his type before and rejected them, and I’ve got no doubt they’ll do the same again.”

Offord previously told the audience in Paisley his party will “challenge the cosy consensus” and pledged tax cuts.

He added: “Reform UK is a new party, it’s a challenger party. We’re here to challenge the cosy consensus, frankly, which is going on in Holyrood, and we want to see real change.

“What do we stand for? Most? We stand for people who work. We stand for people go to work, do the right thing in their community, and feel that they get punished.”

He continued: “The first thing we’re going to do is give you a tax cut so you’re allowed to keep more money in your own pocket, which you’ll invest in your families, in your communities, that will grow the economy and raise a lot more welfare for all the things we’re going to talk about this evening.”

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I love a full English breakfast, but I was intrigued to try an Indian-inspired breakfast

A full English breakfast is a classic for a reason, with the perfect mix of carbs and fatty food to feel like an indulgence. But at a new Peterborough restaurant I’ve been wanting to try for a while, they go beyond the traditional eggs and bacon of a typical full English.

Chaat and Chill opened recently in Peterborough city centre, offering a “vibrant soul of Indian street food”, according to their website. I’m a sucker for Indian food, and I love a curry, so I was intrigued by the Indian-inspired breakfast options on the menu.

With an English breakfast, you know what to expect. You get all the best trimmings, such as hash browns, sausages, eggs, toast, and more. Chaat and Chill’s breakfast menu, which is served all day, serves a range of different dishes, all with a bit of spice added.

The options were very different compared to a full English, but there were delicious-sounding options. Out of all the dishes I chose Aloo Paratha, costing £6.25.

This is north Indian style wholemeal flat bread, stuffed with spiced mashed potatoes and crisped on a hot griddle. For a drink, I chose a Fanta orange, as for once it was a nice warm day.

While I waited for my food, I admired the eye-catching décor. There was a beautiful painted picture on the wall of a woman, with striking eyes.

My food came after a few minutes. The flat bread looked like naan bread, one of my favourite parts of getting Indian food, and there were a few accompaniments on the side.

I tucked into the flatbread first. Expecting it to be really spicy, I was pleasantly surprised to find it was lightly spiced, and tasted very nice. Although they appeared flat, the flatbreads were packed with potatoes with a fluffy texture. I tried some of the flatbread with pickle, curd, and onion. I tried the onion first, which had a spicy kick.

Out of the three sides, the curd was my least favourite. It looked like yoghurt, so I wasn’t initially drawn to it. It was tangy, but I felt like it didn’t complement the flatbreads well.

The pickle was interesting, with a bit of spice to it, but the texture wasn’t to my taste. In the end, I finished the spicy onion and the flatbread on its own.

Ultimately, I prefer a full English breakfast, but I was glad to try the Indian-inspired breakfast and expand my palate. I definitely wouldn’t complain about the price, as for £6.25, I thought this was reasonable.

I would definitely visit Chaat and Chilli again for its trendy and chill vibe. I’m not sure I’d go for a breakfast again, but there are plenty of other options on the menu that I’m keen to try.

All of our food reviews are paid for by the writer. The establishments do not know we will be reviewing their food, allowing us to make fair judgements on each place.

Theatre producer Eliza Lumley also acknowledged Bond’s daughter Karen Jankel, and said: “Karen, your father wrote a character who not only reminds us to be kind, but also reminds us to have empathy for stories that are other than our own – which, after all, is the superpower of theatre itself.”

Firefighters, police and paramedics were called to the crash in Castlegate, Malton, shortly after 5.50pm on Saturday (April 11).

Castlegate was closed following the collision outside the Morrisons supermarket.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said the occupants of the vehicles had minor injuries and were treated by paramedics at the scene.

No one was left trapped after the crash, the fire service said.

A fire service spokesperson said its crews, from Malton and York, assisted police in making the vehicles safe.

Tesco has issued a recall on a dessert product after it was declared “unsafe to eat”

Tesco has announced a recall of a dessert product after it was deemed “unsafe to eat”. A Food Standards Agency (FSA) recall notice disclosed that Tesco Finest Summer Edition Chocolate Affogato Dessert may contain plastic fragments.

The product in question comes in a 538g pack size and has best-before dates of up to and including April 2027.

The FSA said: “This product may contain pieces of plastic, which makes the product unsafe to eat. Tesco is recalling the above product and has issued a recall notice to alert customers. These notices explain to customers why the product is being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought the product.

“If you have bought the above product do not eat it. Instead, return it to any Tesco store for a full refund. For further information, please visit Tesco’s contact Tesco page at: tesco.com/help/contact”

About product recalls and withdrawals, reports the Express.

The FSA explained: “If there is a problem with a food product that means it should not be sold, then it might be ‘withdrawn’ (taken off the shelves) or ‘recalled’ (when customers are asked to return the product).

“The FSA issues Product Recall Information Notices to let consumers and local authorities know about problems associated with food. In some cases, a ‘Food Alert for Action’ is issued.

“This provides local authorities with details of specific action to be taken on behalf of consumers.”

“An investigation is underway to understand the full circumstances”

A 23‑year‑old driver has died and seven others are in hospital after he failed to stop for police and smashed his BMW into multiple vehicles during a chase.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene, on the A21 in East Sussex. as emergency crews rushed the seven other casualties to hospital where were later treated. Two are being treated for serious injuries, with the remaining casualties described as having minor wounds.

Three other vehicles were involved in the incident, which took place on the A21 at Robertsbridge at around 8.20pm on Saturday. Sussex Police claim the BMW failed to stop for officers shortly before the collision.

Emergency crews were scrambled to the incident while the A21 was closed between Battle and Hurst Green, and is expected to remain so until Monday, according to Sussex Police.

The fatal collision is under investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) as it unfolded following a police pursuit. “This was a tragic incident, and our thoughts are with the family of this young man and all those affected,” said Det Supt Andy Wolstenholme, of Sussex Police.

“An investigation is underway to understand the full circumstances and there will be increased police activity in the area while this is ongoing. I would like to thank the public for their patience during the emergency response and for their understanding as our enquiries continue.

“Anyone who has any information that could help the investigation, or relevant dashcam or CCTV footage, is asked to contact police online or via 101, quoting Operation Drummer.”

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‘Tragic incident’

“We are independently investigating Sussex Police involvement prior to a road traffic collision on the A21, Robertsbridge, in which a member of the public has sadly died,” The IOPC confirmed, adding “The incident took place just after 8.15pm on Saturday. We understand a police patrol car came across a BMW in the Hastings area, which made off from police when requested to stop.

“Following a pursuit, the BMW collided with several other vehicles at Robertsbridge, around six miles north of Hastings. The driver of the BMW, a man in his 20s, died at the scene.

“Other members of the public involved in the incident were taken to hospital for treatment. Our investigation will look at police actions prior to the fatal collision. After being notified by the force, we sent investigators to the police post incident procedures to begin gathering evidence and declared an independent investigation. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this incident.”

The full statement from the force read: “The A21 in Robertsbridge remains closed today (12 April) following a serious collision that has now sadly been confirmed as fatal. Emergency services were called to the A21 at around 8.20pm on Saturday (11 April) after a BMW car heading northbound was involved in a collision with three other vehicles.

“The driver of the BMW – a 23-year-old man from Hailsham – was sadly declared deceased at the scene. His next of kin have been informed. Two passengers in another vehicle were taken to hospital with serious injuries, while five other people involved suffered minor injuries requiring hospital treatment.

“The BMW had been involved in a police pursuit shortly before the collision, and a referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct who have declared that they will conduct an independent investigation.”

During his acceptance speech at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday, Essiedu said: “I remember being in that room, and even though I didn’t have the language, I didn’t have the vocabulary, hadn’t been to the theatres, my creativity was still celebrated, nurtured, and valued. And that gave me access to being in this room with people like you today.