Cranch’s Sweet Shop: The Oldest Sweet Store in Devon

Last Updated on 26th September 2024 by Charlotte Nadeau

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If you’re looking for a sweet spot to visit in the popular tourist destination of Salcombe in the South Hams, then Cranch’s Sweet shop is probably the place for you. Traditional sweets and treats along with quirky decor makr for the perfect nostalgic holiday experience. I mean, is there a better kind of souvenir than a sweet one? Here’s a small guide to Cranch’s Sweet Shop, the oldest of its kind in Devon!

Cranch’s Sweet Shop

Cranch’s Sweet Shop is set in the idyllic fishing village and popular holiday destination Salcombe in South Devon. It’s impossible to stroll down the high street without noticing the punch of pink that paints the exterior of the town’s sweet spot.

The shop was first established in 1869 by Mrs Cranch and her three daughters, Charlotte, Isabel, and Gladys. All the sweets were originally made in the store itself, where the family would boil away sugar in copper pans to produces all kings of hard boiled sweets like butterscotch, humbugs, pear drops and more.

The business was sold to another family in 1970 and yet another in 1980. Although it’s changed hands several times, family has always been the sweetness which has kept this place going for so many years.

Sweets and the seaside are intertwined, and although the popularity of sweets rises and falls and the availability of them is now so commonplace, Cranch’s has remained a staple stop for a treat and continues to thrive in its traditional way of selling its goodies.

There is now a secondary ‘Cranch’s Sweet Shop’ in the nearby quirky town of Totnes. The town is also definitely worth checking out if you ever find yourself with a few days free to explore the South West of England.

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