Has Scottish sweet shop discovered the secret to (business) immortality?

Liz Crossley-Davies, of The Star Rock Shop in Kirriemuir, credits its longevity to a secret recipe (Picture: Katielee Arrowsmith) | SWNS

In 1833, the UK parliament abolished slavery in the British Empire and made it illegal for factories to employ children under the age of nine, while Charles Dickens published his first work of fiction, A Dinner at Poplar Walk. It was also the year when a mason from Brechin, called David Ferguson, decided to open a sweet shop in Kirriemuir after an accident that nearly blinded him.

All of 193 years later, many businesses have opened and closed, but The Star Rock Shop, is still going strong and has the honour of being the oldest sweet shop in Scotland.

READ MORE: Scottish nostalgia: 8 iconic Scottish sweet shops that will take you back if you grew up in Scotland

The reason for its unusual longevity? Well, according to owner Liz Crossley-Davies, it’s the secret recipe for the shop’s signature Star Rock, passed carefully from owner to owner throughout the years. When she took over the business in 2018, she first had to spend two months learning how to make it and other treats. “I honestly believe that if that recipe didn't exist, the shop wouldn't still be here,” she says.

A secret, crunchy elixir of (business) immortality? Sounds like something to sook on!