After serving the local community for more than two decades, this beloved former corner shop in Salford is now up for sale.
And it could be yours for just £2.
Sharon and Stuart’s Kandy Kabin – which was once an old fashioned sweet shop that doubled as community hub on Langworthy Road and served the people of Salford for 26 years – is said to be worth in the region of £175,000, but the owners have chosen the unique method of raffling the commercial premises, with tickets costing a mere £2 each and all legal fees covered.
The family-run corner shop was owned by Stuart and Sharon Smyth, who both sadly died in 2012 and 2018 respectively.
The store closed in 2016 after Sharon started chemotherapy.
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Stuart passed away aged 49, and Sharon was 50 when she lost her battle with esophageal cancer, leaving the business in the hands of their two children Alex and Tom.
Speaking to the MEN on their decision to raffle off the business, the couple’s daughter Alex, 36, said: “My mum and dad owned the property for 28 years, and in 2018 we lost her to cancer. The shop was like her baby [and] my mum has served so many people in the community,
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“The laughing joke was once you entered Sharon’s store, you’d never leave because she kept you talking – It was so much more than your average corner shop.
“Everyone loved it and has so many fond memories of it.”
Alex and Tom – who have been trying to sell the property for years – are not able to take over the family business due to personal commitments and families of their own, and so have made the decision to raffle the property – a method of selling which has become popular during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
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“It’s been on the market a while,” Alex added.
“We’ve had six offers fall through and banks aren’t borrowing for commercial mortgages.
“I think some people thought I’d take it on, but I have a young family and already run a business of my own [so] the shop would be a massive commitment.
“I watched a house raffle that happened in Manchester and after watching how successful they’ve been, we figured that we’ve got something additional to offer with the commercial property.”
Selling the property on popular website / app Raffall, the business is described as: “An ideally located commercial shop front with a three bedroom property to the rear and the first floor. To the ground there is a shop front, lounge and modern kitchen, and to the first floor are three bedrooms and a family bathroom.
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“Located very close to Salford Quay/Media City and excellent transport routes into Manchester City Centre.”
With the raffle closing on Saturday 1st January 2022 at 3:30pm (or when the last ticket is sold – whichever is sooner, Alex and Tom hope the lucky winner will be a fellow business owner who can continue serving the community.
“We want anyone that could make it a success for themselves,” Alex said.
“My mum and dad had so much success over the years, so we’d like to see somebody else continue that.”
You can grab your £2 tickets here, and follow the along Kandy Kabin Raffle journey on Facebook here.
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Stockport County’s Christmas dinner in a cup returns for 2025 as part of new festive food range
Danny Jones
We can’t believe it’s rolled around again already, but with the festive period well underway and the big day just a few weeks away, Stockport County have brought back their viral ‘Xmas dinner in a cup’for 2025.
Better still, the County Courtyard has seen some new Christmas specials added to its food menu, too.
The local football club are absolutely flying in League One at the moment, having spent plenty of time at the top of the table already and still well and truly contesting those promotion/play-off spots.
If you’re a Stopfordian, that’s plenty of cause for celebration right there, but with the Christmas dinner in a cup also up for grabs once more, the holiday season literally couldn’t taste any better right now.
For those who’ve never seen it before, it’s exactly what it says on the tin – well, cup: a little Sunday dinner in a County-branded takeaway coffee cup, complete with a healthy pour of gravy and pretty much all the trimmings you could hope for.
Yes, including sprouts, because all of you who still don’t touch them need to grow up already.
Currently priced at just £4.50, not only does it contain virtually all the major food groups (barring the customary matchday pints, of course), it might just be one of the healthiest and best value-for-money bits of footy scran around – certainly in Greater Manchester, anyway.
But, as mentioned, that’s not all this year; Stockport are also serving up the new festive hot dog and even a ‘leftover Christmas curry’ in a bowl, which might even be more warming on a cold night at Edgeley Park than the Xmas dinner in a cup or clinging onto a flask of Bovril.
Anyone else craving that curry with a cheeky bit of bubble and squeak now?
It’s also worth noting that you’ll only be able to get one of those on Boxing Day, by the way, when the Hatters host Lincoln City in the league.
As for the rest of it, County fans can get their hands on this seasonal scran for the first time this year at the weekend when Dave Challinor’s side take on Barnsley at 12:30pm, and two of the three specials will then be served at home every game over the holiday period.
Speaking of random Christmas food creations, there’s another limited-time-only and potentially divisive example that we’ll also be sampling this December…
Aldi has launched the world’s first lickable pigs in blankets wrapping paper… for some reason
Emily Sergeant
Aldi has launched its latest Christmas creation, and this one’s arguably wackier than anything else it’s brought out before.
There’s absolutely no denying that pigs in blankets are a staple of festive feasting, with millions of the little delicacies consumed throughout the UK each Christmas, but have you ever wished you could turn the taste of those pigs in blankets into a lickable wrapping paper to wrap all this year’s gifts in? Yeah probably not… Aldi‘s made it though.
It’s anticipated that more than 561 million pigs in blankets are going to be eaten over the festive period, new research has found, which is an average of 10 per person.
But if you just can’t bare to leave the taste of pigs in blankets behind, Aldi’s new wrapping paper is set to give shoppers a fun and tasty twist when it comes to gift-giving.
The limited-edition wrapping paper is inspired by Aldi’s very-own range of pigs in blankets, and is described as capturing the smoky, savoury flavour and smell of the festive treat, with stickers that peel back to reveal a truly unique ‘lickable’ experience.
Aldi has launched the world’s first lickable pigs in blankets wrapping paper / Credit: Simon Jacobs/PA Wire (via Aldi UK)
Not only does the novelty wrapping paper taste and smells like pigs in blankets, it also looks the part on presents too with its pastel pink design, festive holly, and snowflake patterns.
“Pigs in Blankets are a highlight of the festive season… so we wanted to create something special to celebrate the Christmas classic,” commented Julie Ashfield, who is the Chief Commercial Officer at Aldi UK, as the new creation launches.
“This unique, lickable wrapping paper is the perfect way to spread extra joy on Christmas Day.”
Want to get your hands on it then? Unfortunately, it won’t be as simple as popping to your nearest Aldi store and picking up a roll, as with a creation as unique as this, there’s only going to be limited stock and a special shopper competition to win it.
To be in with a chance of winning, you simply need to email [email protected] with your full name before the deadline at 11:59pm on 1 December.
Emily Sergeant -
11th January 2021 
