News: New temperance bar gets a cordial welcome in Rotherham
The very first 21st Century temperance bar opened in Rotherham town centre recently offering sarsparilla and cordials along with other fruit and sweet based drinks.
The Whistle Stop Sweet Shop has been a major success since it was opened by Tony and Kara Chapman in the town's Imperial Buildings in 2010. They have now moved next door to take over a unit twice the size of its exiting one. The new space will be used to house an expanded sweet shop, a sweet manufacturing area and a Temperance Bar.
Tony Chapman, owner of the Whistle Stop Sweet Shop, said: "We want to give our customers an experience they cannot get anywhere else. The bar is designed to give an authentic feel but it won't be a theme park/museum; it will be place to enjoy really nice drinks in a unique setting. People are becoming more health conscious and are looking for something new, well we have something new but with nearly 200 years of history behind it."
The project is being supported by a grant from Rotherham Borough Council's Business Vitality Grants Scheme which offers support to new businesses and those looking to expand their business in the town.
So far 17 grant awards have been made with a further four made through the Street Cafe Grant scheme.
Kara Chapman said they were excited about the new venture and delighted to be expanding their business in Rotherham: "We started selling bottles of sasaparilla and other soft drinks alongside our sweets a while ago and the response from people was fantastic.
"We've had lots of people asking us about whether we can get other types of drinks in and then a few older customers who remember the sarsparilla bars of years gone by were saying wouldn't it be great if we could get one back in the town.
"We thought it was a great idea and combining it with our plans to expand the sweet business we decided to give it a go."
In addition to the "bar" the shop will continue to sell a wide range of sweets and gifts, and the next stage will be to introduce sweet making on the premises with the chance to watch the sweet makers at work and develop a range of "made in Rotherham" sweets for sale.
John Guest, of the Guest & Chrimes foundry was a leading figure in The Rotherham and Masbrough Temperance Society in Rotherham, funding new institutes for learning and lecturing in the town. He had an ambition to bring together 1,000 confirmed teetotallers in Rotherham at a time when the local miners and navies working on the railways were renowned for heavy drinking.
Kara Chapman, added: "Rotherham owes a lot to John Guest and his legacy can be seen in many places in the town. He worked tirelessly for the good of the working people. We are hoping to have a drink named after him and available in the bar – which we think would be a fitting tribute to Mr Guest."
Whistle Stop Sweet Shop website
Images: RMBC
The Whistle Stop Sweet Shop has been a major success since it was opened by Tony and Kara Chapman in the town's Imperial Buildings in 2010. They have now moved next door to take over a unit twice the size of its exiting one. The new space will be used to house an expanded sweet shop, a sweet manufacturing area and a Temperance Bar.
Tony Chapman, owner of the Whistle Stop Sweet Shop, said: "We want to give our customers an experience they cannot get anywhere else. The bar is designed to give an authentic feel but it won't be a theme park/museum; it will be place to enjoy really nice drinks in a unique setting. People are becoming more health conscious and are looking for something new, well we have something new but with nearly 200 years of history behind it."
The project is being supported by a grant from Rotherham Borough Council's Business Vitality Grants Scheme which offers support to new businesses and those looking to expand their business in the town.
So far 17 grant awards have been made with a further four made through the Street Cafe Grant scheme.
Kara Chapman said they were excited about the new venture and delighted to be expanding their business in Rotherham: "We started selling bottles of sasaparilla and other soft drinks alongside our sweets a while ago and the response from people was fantastic.
"We've had lots of people asking us about whether we can get other types of drinks in and then a few older customers who remember the sarsparilla bars of years gone by were saying wouldn't it be great if we could get one back in the town.
"We thought it was a great idea and combining it with our plans to expand the sweet business we decided to give it a go."
In addition to the "bar" the shop will continue to sell a wide range of sweets and gifts, and the next stage will be to introduce sweet making on the premises with the chance to watch the sweet makers at work and develop a range of "made in Rotherham" sweets for sale.
John Guest, of the Guest & Chrimes foundry was a leading figure in The Rotherham and Masbrough Temperance Society in Rotherham, funding new institutes for learning and lecturing in the town. He had an ambition to bring together 1,000 confirmed teetotallers in Rotherham at a time when the local miners and navies working on the railways were renowned for heavy drinking.
Kara Chapman, added: "Rotherham owes a lot to John Guest and his legacy can be seen in many places in the town. He worked tirelessly for the good of the working people. We are hoping to have a drink named after him and available in the bar – which we think would be a fitting tribute to Mr Guest."
Whistle Stop Sweet Shop website
Images: RMBC
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