Life is just sweet at tasty new shop

Walking into Sweet Life in Stratford feels a bit like walking into the world of Willy Wonka.

From the vibrant black and white flooring, the jars filled with tempting treats, you feel as though you have fallen down a rabbit hole into a different, and delicious, world.

Owner Heidi Griffin says the shop offers an experience. "You don't just pop in quickly. This is somewhere to spend time, to savour all the sweetness in store".

Heidi started Sweet Life in Fitzroy, and says that when it came to looking for a town to expand into, "Stratford was the perfect place". She explains she likes how the town is structured. "It's a busy place and with the shops on the main road, you get plenty of passing trade."

Heidi says she is thrilled with the support she has already received from locals. "Other business owners have popped in to wish me luck, and plenty of people have been in already to have a look, a taste, and to wish me all the best."

With all the tempting sweets and lollies in store, it is hard to pick a favourite, says Heidi. She admits to having a sweet tooth, so when she started missing some of the tastes of home (Heidi comes from the UK originally) the idea for her business was born. "We don't just have sweets from the UK though, we have sweets from all over the world, lots of Kiwi favourites are in stock too."

Above all, Heidi says she wants the shop to offer a fun experience for all who enter. "There is still more to come, we will keep adding to the stock, changing the decorations, it is going to be a shop you enjoy visiting."

Selling lollies requires skill and knowledge, says Heidi. "The staff don't just taste the lollies. They need to remember the individual flavours and textures so they can help people find the right sweet, or work out what a person might like to try."

Sweet Life in Stratford is open every day, 9am to 4.30pm Monday through to Saturdays, and 10am to 4.30pm on Sundays.

"Pop in, have a taste, have a try, we pride ourselves on not giving you the hard sell, but encouraging you to discover what you like," says Heidi.