A SWEETSHOP in Nailsworth is set to reopen under the new leadership of two childhood friends.

Coco Confectionary in Fountain Street reopens on Saturday under the ownership of Sofia Corgier and Annabel Wigley, who have been close friends since primary school.

Aged 20 and 19, Sofia and Annabel are hoping to bring a batch of fresh ideas to the well-known sweetshop, which has been in Nailsworth for over a decade.

“We're both new to this but we are passionate about starting many business ventures together and believe Coco is a great place for us to begin,” said Sofia, who met Annabel while at St Dominic’s Primary School in Inchbrook.

“We are hoping to try out some new ideas to put our own twist on things, like Milkshake Mondays, Waffle Wednesdays and bring in a coffee machine, as well as vegan and vegetarian options.

“People are really fond of the shop, as well as its name and logo, so we are making sure to keep that.

“But if we can bring in more reasons for people to visit the shop and stay, like coffees, I think we can take things on to further successes.”

Sofia’s dad Christian has painted a series of floral murals on the ceiling of the shop, which will reopen this Saturday.

“We had already been talking about business ideas, and then when we saw that Coco was up for sale,” said Sofia, who is a business apprentice at Stroud company Key Intelligence.

“We just knew Coco would be the right fit for us, we are eager to keep the same traditional sweet shop feel with all the jars on the shelves, but try some new things, we’ve also brought in a loyalty card scheme.”

Her business partner Annabel is studying for a Media Production qualification at Cirencester College, and is eager to bring further free-from products to the Five Valleys.

"As a vegan, I'm particularly excited to bring a wider range of free-from products that you won't find elsewhere other than beloved Coco," she said.

For more information follow the Coco Confectionary Facebook page by clicking here.