The Toffee Shop
Already one of Penrith's most distinctive food shops, and the planned King Street move should make it even more interesting. Visit Brunswick Road for now; once the new production space and bookable experiences open, this could become a genuine small visitor attraction as well as a confectionery shop.
The Toffee Shop is one of Penrith's best-known independent food businesses, with roots stretching back to 1910 and a production method that still relies on traditional brass pans, hand stirring and a closely guarded recipe.<br><br>For now, visitors should continue to use the existing shop at 7 Brunswick Road. The business remains open there while work progresses on a major move back to King Street later in 2026. The Toffee Shop's own website still lists Brunswick Road as its current trading address, with normal shop opening from 9am to 4pm Monday to Saturday.<br><br>The move is much more than a simple change of address. The business has secured plans for 3 King Street, a Grade II-listed building in central Penrith, to become a larger traditional shop with production space and an upstairs area designed for pre-booked visitor experiences.<br><br>That return has a nice piece of local history behind it. Annie Furnass established the original Toffee Shop on King Street in 1910. The business moved to Brunswick Road in 1956, where generations of visitors have since bought handmade fudge and toffee and watched orders being weighed and boxed. In 2026, the current owners announced that the business would return to the street where it began.<br><br>The approved King Street scheme is intended to bring production closer to visitors. Fudge and toffee are planned to be made on the ground floor using the familiar gas hobs, brass pans and hand-stirring methods, rather than moving manufacturing out of town or behind an industrial-style operation.<br><br>The most interesting addition for visitors is the proposed Toffee Shop Experience. Plans describe pre-booked sessions where guests could learn about the shop's history, sample flavours and take part in weighing, wrapping and boxing products. That could turn The Toffee Shop from a quick retail stop into a small heritage food experience in its own right.<br><br>The larger premises may also give the business space to introduce related products, with the approved-plan coverage mentioning ideas such as fudge ice cream produced with local partners. Exact products, experience prices, session lengths and booking arrangements have not yet been announced.<br><br>The operator says it hopes to welcome customers into the new King Street home later in 2026 once refurbishment is complete and the building is ready to trade. There is not yet a confirmed moving date, so do not travel to King Street expecting the new shop or visitor experience to be open.<br><br>Until the move is formally announced, the practical visitor information remains unchanged: shop at 7 Brunswick Road, where fudge and toffee continue to be handmade and sold, or order through the official online shop. Cumbria Guru will switch this listing to 3 King Street when the business confirms the relocation has actually taken place.
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