Village Squire, 1980-04, Page 15+••
Cherie Seldon, owner of The Sugar & Spice in Exeter, scoops out
candy from an old-fashioned glass jar. Beside her is a 1915 cash
register, and behind her are rows of candies in reproductions of
old-style glass jars. (Photo by Townshend)
out -smarted them. Now 1 know their favourities and I keep them
down low."
She tries to cater to kids because buying candy is something
special to them. She remembers going into a gas station that sold
penny candy when she was a little girl. She might have had only
a dime to spend and it might have taken her an hour to decide
what she wanted. but the owners were always patient. She tries
to pass on the same kind of patience to her young customers.
Candy is the fastest selling item in the store. and freshness is
guaranteed. Cherie points out they sell only good quality candy.
She maintains that if people over -indulge in candy or anything
else. it can be harmful, but when eaten in moderation, candy is
not harmful.
SWEET TOOTH
The success of The Sugar & Spice proves there are still many
people around with a 'sweet tooth.' but the store offers other
enticements as well.
On the shelves next to the candies are jars of spices. more than
70 different kinds in all. Cherie stocks only the most popular
because of limited space. If three customers request 'a certain
spice. however. she tries to order it.
Buying by bulk allows a customer to purchase only the weight
she needs. According to Cherie. she learns something everyday.
Customers often share recipes with her or tell her about unusual
uses for spices or herbal teas.
Next to the spices are jars containing more than 30 different
flavours of tea - strawberry, raspberry. blackberry. rum. apple,
peach. pear. vanilla. cinnamon and more. Mango has been one
of the most popular. Cherie also carries children's tea and herbal
tea. with some medicinal value.
Cherie explains that a pound of tea and a pound of coffee start
out with the same amount of caffeine. A pound of coffee makes
80 cups of coffee. while a pound of tea makes 800 to 1.000 cups of
tea; the amount of caffeine in a cup of tea. th'-efore, is minimal.
Across from the shelves of tea near the back of the room is
another massive wooden counter, and behind the counter on the
wall is a functional "conversation piece" - a brass coffee
dispenser made in Germany. The store also has an old coffee
grinder on display.
The Sugar & Spice sells several different kinds of fresh coffee
beans as well as several coffee blends. Most people are looking
for a mild to medium coffee and will buy a mocha/java blend or a
mocha/java/ olumbia or The Sugar & Spice Blend. People who
want stronger coffee will go to Brazilian, Columbia and Mocha.
The strongest is Continental and Columbia. Continental is a dark
bean coffee and is used as an espresso coffee.
Cherie sells coffee by the cup, and each week she serves a
different blend to help people, who are unfamiliar with the
different kinds of beans, to find a blend they enjoy.
In most stores. each type of coffee bean sells at a different
price per pound. To save customer confusion, Cherie sells all her
coffee at the same price, except gourmet coffees, such as Swiss
Almond Chocolate or Vienese with Cinnamon, which are Si more
a pound.
The Sugar & Spice also offers gift ideas such as traditional
coffee mugs and new tea mugs and teapots, tea infusions, tea
strainers and one -cup coffee filters. Old-fashioned tins make
popular gifts. Cherie bought some from a Montreal company that
imported them from England. Since the company stopped
importing them, she has been looking for more tins to fit the
decor of the store.
On the wall opposite the shelves of candy, spices and teas
hang more unusual gift ideas. Spice ropes, for example, are
made by a lady in Grand Bend. She braids cloves, cinnamon, and
cinnamon sticks into a rope, which will hang in a kitchen or closet
to take away odours. Cherie has sold approximately 70.
NUTKINS
A friend of Cherie's makes 'nutkins' from walnut shells. She
shapes dough into animal forms such as beavers, raccoons and
skunks. Then she puts the dough on the walnut shells. bakes
them, paints them and lacquers them. At S1.75 each, Cherie
feels they are a type of Canadian craft tourists will find
appealing.
Raffia dolls created by a Stratford lady are becoming a popular
decorating idea. especially at Thanksgiving. The Sugar & Spice
also takes orders for custom-made wooden kitchen signs made
by a London man. A few samples hang on the walls of the store.
Another service offered by Sugar & Spice is the creation of
custom-made gifts. For a child's birthday, for example, Cherie
fills an ice cream parlour glass with candies. For a hospital
patient. she arranges chocolates or mints in a tin or jar or basket.
For a bridal shower. she might place a packet of tea in a tea
strainer. The customer chooses the price range and the type of
gift she wants to give and Cherie does the rest. Before
Christmas, she had to stop taking orders because she couldn't
keep pace with the demand.
Cherie admits opening the store was her husband Paul's idea,
and it took him awhile to convince her it was the right thing to do.
Now she has no regrets. The store has become a family affair.
Although Paul works in London during the week, he helps run
the store on weekends. Their daughters, Melissa. 13, and Becky,
9. lend a hand after school and on weekends.
DON'T MIND WAITING
The store is often packed. but the customers don't seem to
mind waiting. People have suggested the store should be
expanded but Cherie is afraid it would lose its atmosphere. She
would also have more difficulty giving personal attention to each
customer and getting to know the customers as people has been
an important part of the business for the Seldons. They know
certain clients will drop in on Friday or Saturday after doing their
grocery shopping. Other people will just drop in to say hello,
knowing they're not expected to buy every time they come
through the door.
The Sugar & Spice. in downtown Exeter, is a tiny store
bursting with candies, spices, herbs, teas, coffees and an
old-fashioned relaxed atmosphere. It's a place people can go
when they feel they deserve a treat or want to buy a unique gift.
VILLAGE SQUIRE/APRIL 1980 PG. 13