Sweet stop for Featherston foodies

THE SWEET LIFE: Sweet co-owner Sue Ryan with just some of the sugary delights on her offer at her new boutique store.B

A Featherston couple is building on the town's foodie reputation by adding a little sugar.

Sue Ryan and Paul Broughton have launched Sweet -- a shop dedicated to sweet comestibles -- from chocolate Christmas baubles, lemon curd and Argentine tea cakes to gingerbread houses.

Sue and Paul are the team behind Mr Feather's Den and C'est Cheese, both at the south end of Fitzherbert St.

Their new 'baby' sits next door to C'est Cheese, with Sweet taking over the front of Mr Feather's Den.

The taxidermy creatures and vintage furniture are moving to the back to make for the rows of panforte, fudge and cinnamon salad dressings.

Sue and Paul say opening Sweet was a logical next step following the success of C'est Cheese -- which has helped raise Featherston's profile as a gastronomic destination.

"Most of the growth of Featherston to do with food," Sue said. "It's become a real foodie place.

"We thought what else can we provide that people will want to take home with them?"

"Featherston is becoming a place where people want to stop and spend time on the way through, rather than just using the toilet and filling up on gas," Paul added.

"It's exciting to be a part of that."

Sue and Paul, originally from Wellington, arrived in Featherston in 2012 and bought the Anderson Building at the end of Fitzherbert St.

They set up Mr Feather's Den, with C'est Cheese following at the end of 2013, which went on to become very busy and earn a glowing review in an Australian travel magazine.

This year, Sue and Paul decided it was time to expand -- and Sweet was born during a business retreat at Akitio.

"The weather was crap the whole weekend, so we got a lot of planning done," Sue said.

So far, Sweet is a sweet-toothed heaven, featuring not only chocolate, but toffee-apple flavoured jams, plum sauces, sweetened peanut butter, turkish delight, alfajor (biscuits with dulce de leche filling) made by an Argentine woman in Wellington, and gingerbread Christmas decorations made by Ibicci Edible Art, in Huntly.

Paul said they have come across many of their producers by scrolling through Facebook or, in some cases, the business pages in The Dominion Post.

"Or we're talking to people and they say, 'oh, my friend has her own chocolate shop.'"

They mostly stock New Zealand brands, with several from South Wairarapa, such as Schoc, Laughing Owl, Lavender's Green and Neighbourhood Coffee in Martinborough, as well as biscotti from Wakelin House and sauces from Cocodeli in Greytown.

"We'd love to get a few more. There are some talented people down this way," Sue said.

She and Paul say Sweet should be the perfect match with C'est Cheese -- as sweet food and cheese compliment one another in the dining world.

"Chocolate and cheese are both quite addictive, and release the same feelings of falling in love.

"People can come to Featherston and get two experiences -- the savoury and the sweet."