The now-closed Sweet Charlie’s dessert shop in Newport has called in the liquidators, it can be revealed.
The previously much-loved eatery opened back in May 2021 and proved hugely popular, offering delicious tasty treats and snacks. However, at the start of 2023, the business’ owners, Charlie and Dave McLoughlin, admitted they needed help.
The rapid rate of inflation, as well as issues around staffing levels, were blamed for the situation with admissions also made that their accountant wasn’t informing them on the financials as regularly as they had hoped.
A £35,000 fundraiser was launched but just days later it was announced that the doors were to close – although it was insisted at the time that it was only a ‘temporary’ measure. It was said that the closure would allow the team time to re-evaluate the business and properly assess its financial position.
Now, it has been confirmed that Southampton-based Begbies Traynor has been appointed to oversee financial matters for OCD Ventures Ltd..
Local suppliers fear they may never get the money that is still owed to them following the closure of the High Street business and now the news of liquidators being called in. However, they have been thanked by the Sweet Charlies team for ‘all your support along the way’.
Former staff are also owed wages still.
Anyone with enquiries is being directed to contact Begbies Traynor at 5 Prospect House, Meridians Cross, Ocean Way, Southampton.
Sad news but inevitable I guess, times are hard. At least they gave it a go.
Just one of many. This is merely the start of years of businesses closing, which effects their suppliers and next will come massive unemployment.
None of such happens ‘overnight’ as it takes time for the effects of people spending less to filter down, as business first try to cut costs, reduce staff, reduce products and ranges of such, but eventually rising bills, and less ‘foot-fall’ will break hundreds of companies cafe’s and eating places, and, as here, non ‘necessity’ businesses, who will be first to ‘go’
Lucky the crowd funding gimmick never took off as locals are wary of such. All they would have been doing is paying the shops debts and not ‘keeping it going’ any longer.
years of misery to come yet.
So sad to see yet another independent business owner having to close their business. Such a shame as they all work so hard. The hospitality businesses are subject to the Wight Bid – a tourism levy given the go-ahead by the council and run by Visit Isle of Wight yet the supermarkets (who surely benefit from tourism) don’t have to pay. I think it is time the council helped, after all, are these empty premises going to enhance the highstreets – also with several already gone out of business, it is very short-sighted as no business – no levy (except that some business owners who have had to close have been expected to pay the levy for another year! really??
This levy is disgraceful imo. There are also shops and businesses on the Island which actually attract tourists so the council and Visit Isle of Wight should by rights be paying them.
It truly is and are you aware over two hundred business owners received a summons last year some business owners didn’t know they were part of the levy system until they received a summons. Not only that but at least 20 charities are on the levy list. The museum of Ryde is run by volunteers mostly in their 70s – it takes about 4 weeks for them to generate the amount of the levy and that is before they raise anything for their running costs. I raised this as an issue at the last full council meeting via email. The question wasn’t read out stating that I would receive a reply but so far I have yet to receive an answer (question submitted over two weeks ago) I haven’t received a satisfactory reply to my previous question either.
Perhaps in the financial climate we should voice our concerns via a petition direct to MP and Council, this tourism levy is a new one on me but very interesting. Reminded me of the Window Tax in 1696 known as “Daylight Robbery” and we have learnt very little since, sometimes I wonder if we are going in circles or backwards.
“Daylight robbery” was a saying often said by my Grandma. I’ve never really thought about it but your comment roused my curiosity. Now I understand why old houses have bricked in windows. Interesting. Sad for Sweet Charlie’s though I always wondered how it would do as it was such a big premises and being at the bottom of an essentially already dead High Street perhaps wasn’t the best location? Beautiful building. Sad but as others have said, it’s difficult trading times these days.
With NHS dentists so rare to find, likely a blessing in disguise.
Sticky sweets and lazy parenting create more pressure and costs on the NHS from those who pay nothing in to the system but have the most kids needing dentistry and obesity issues from rubbish food, lazy life style and parents interested more in the free home, rent, c.tax and good income that having children provide than their, love, care and welfare.
How have you brought this round to benefits which have absolutely nothing to do with this story you snob?
I bet you’re fun at parties….
Comments like that is what this very hard working couple DO NOT need
You can’t make money from a sweet shop with high rent high rates and the scum that just steal the stuff. we know we had the sweet scoop in Newport
The whole plan I assume is to close most all small businesses, turn shops into flats to make room for the unorganic flood of newcomers into the UK and those they displace to places like here, and then have a massive, poor working class society, reliant only on large supermarket chains which can ‘bear’ and fund scum and employ security etc.
Shame, but can’t fight globlalisim power and money when it is stronger than any party politics or leaders.
Changing world, and for the poor, not for the better, but the rich control the bigger picture fully now. So life will get far worse for all those not in that position.
Law is useless, and shops with low foot fall can’t afford the loss as you well know.
Cold Comfort, if you were one of those who voted for the party that stands for the Few, not the Many, rather than the reverse, you can’t complain 🙂
What puzzles me is how does that massive place Isle of Wight Pearl keep going?
Like ‘just’ selling sweets, selling just Pearl tat is unrealistic surely in this day and age.
A few old people on a coach buying a cup of tea surely can’t fund that huge place.
More to it than meets the eye I think.
Can anyone explain?
Bet hardly any locals go there, and if on hol, the last thing you wish for is to buy a Pearl necklace, although plenty of men would like to give such I have no doubt.
I don’t know either. Weird place full of weird people.
“Weird place full of weird people”
But that’s enough about the Isle of Wight.
Do you think it is a front for an international crime syndicate? In fact, it is just a well run business. The coaches go their in droves.
They are part of a bigger business such as Jersey Pearl. They also work hard with the cafe and pull in the coaches.
Naughty . . . but nice 😉
Thought provoking and also humorous comment.
You can in Shanklin!
never competitive with us
Basically it was a badly run business financially. Sad thing was they were still obtaining
items to run the shop knowing they would not be able to pay for them.
Probably to do with the extortionate fees from the IW council for rates etc
Trying to get crowd funding to support their failed business!!!! I have heard it all now. Maybe I will try to get crowd funding to support my obviously going to fail business selling unicorn horns.
“Their accountant wasn’t informing them on the financials as regularly as hoped”!!!!
Really, perhaps he should have told them urgently that the bottom had fallen out of the global boiled sweets market and to switch pronto to liquorice treats. What a load of nonsense. It was a sweet shop and the till was empty. Not hard to work out the outcome.
They should have called it the Bank of Sweet Charlie’s. The government would have been falling over themselves to throw money at them.
refunds all round please
‘their accountant wasn’t informing them on the financials as regularly as they had hoped’
That statement probably sums up the naivety of the people running the business. Accountants don’t watch over a business 24/7, unless you’re a very large organisation and employ an accountant on your staff. They literally come in once a year to sort out your accounts before filing them at Companies House. It’s down to you, the owner, to watch the cashflow and the profit and loss on a monthly or even weekly basis.
It’s a trait these days to always blame someone else when things go wrong but the truth is that this was the wrong business in the wrong town, or at least the wrong part of town. That’s down to the owners, no-one else.
This is sad news, but people are now realising the cost of everything is going up and prioritising expenditure on necessities rather than luxury. I should imagine, due to financial climate, that many other small ventures will be closing or deviating from what they do now just to survive.
A proper pair of Charlies! That shop front couldn’t have helped business. It hurts my eyes!