A granddaughter has saved her family sweet shop in Cardigan from extinction thanks to financial support from the Antur Cymru Enterprise.

The beloved Yum Yum business, which was founded by the Osinga family in 2001, closed down in September despite being part of the high street for over two decades.

But since Natasha Osinga, the granddaughter of the store’s original bosses, reached out to Antur Cymru, Yum Yum has reopened and become a hit with the local community again.

Osinga said: “It’s busier than I ever expected, since the opening day it’s been absolutely non-stop.”

“As the store has been in the family so long, I really didn’t want to see it empty or run by someone else, so it was brilliant to be able to bring it back to life.

“Thanks so much to everyone who has shown myself and Yum Yum so much support, I am so grateful and look forward to many more years here in Cardigan.”

The mother-of-three received a start-up loan which allowed her to hire five members of permanent staff, find new suppliers, buy stock and install new fixtures.

Business advisor Barry Morgan from the Local Business Support programme, which is funded by the UK government, played an integral part in helping Osinga reopen the Yum Yum store.

“They were amazing, especially Barry who guided me through the whole process, which was vital as it’s not something I had any experience of before,” Natasha continued.

“I’m already diversifying, and we’ve had bookings to supply for parties and weddings, so that’s an area I hope to grow in the months ahead, as well as introducing exciting new sweets and treats for our customers.

“I feel more confident, and we are in a good place, so I’m excited for the future.”

Morgan gave advice on how to reinvigorate the family business and was pleased to see Osinga succeeding.

Barry said: “It was a pleasure to be able to guide Natasha from her initial interest in taking on the business through to the opening day, which was a real celebration.

“We are pleased to have been able to support her on this amazing journey, and other traders on the bustling Cardigan high street, which has really come to life since the new year.

“As an organisation we are committed to helping business owners, entrepreneurs and anyone with a germ of an idea, and have the tools and resources to help make their dreams a reality – that was certainly the case here, congratulations Natasha!”

The Antur Cymru Enterprise is based in Newcastle Emlyn and has worked to meet the demands of local communities for over 40 years by supporting the growth of a variety of businesses.