A building that housed one of Plymouth’s oldest and most famous and idiosyncratic retail companies is to become home to a growing £1m-plus flapjack business.
The four-storey “period property” on the Barbican that was home to the nationally known Yarmouth Stores has been empty since that shop shut in 2017.
But now Tavistock-headquartered “homemade” flapjack maker Flapjackery, which now has a turnover well in excess of £1m, is taking over the double-fronted shop and will open on April 1.
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Business partners Carol Myott and Sally Jenkin have leased the outlet from Allure Property Ltd Plymouth and will purvey their renowned, and multi-award winning, chunky flapjacks and a myriad of other sweet treats from the Southside Street location.
The sign on the shop front has been painted over by the property’s developers, but Carol and Sally have opted to keep the original Yarmouth Stores swing sign for posterity.
The listed building has undergone a careful renovation, which has taken several months to complete, ensuring all original features, such as the old counters, safe and the pigeon holes have been retained.
Carol said: “It’s like taking a step back in time when you walk in, we love it, and to be custodians of such an important part of Plymouth’s history is wonderful. It’s a shop full of intrigue and history, and perfect for selling flapjacks.”
She added: “The Barbican is bustling with energy, and the other shop owners have all been so welcoming. We’re very much looking forward to opening Yarmouth’s stores, and welcoming people back to such a wonderful place.”
Yarmouth Stores opened in 1898 and traded for nearly 120 years selling sailing gear and clothing. It was nationally renowned, and in 2002 men’s style magazine Maxim Fashion cited it as one of the world’s coolest shops.
Owned by the Knights family of Yarmouth, it only had four managers. But as the owners shut other branches around the UK they decided to shut the Plymouth store in December 2017 citing competition from online shopping as the main reason, and it has remained empty since.
The closure of Yarmouth Stores was seen at the time as emblematic of the problems faced by bricks-and-mortar retailers, with many continuing to fail in the face of online shopping. Bosses also blamed the burden of business rates and declining footfall. And despite being in the heart of the Barbican’s trading area, the building remained vacant - until now.
Flapjackery was founded in 2015 out of Carol and Sally’s love of home baking. Carol had retired to Devon having run a print business, Sally was selling communications for the elderly before working in a fudge shop.
They started baking in their respective kitchens, selling at the country market in Tavistock and the business quickly flourished. Today, they have a roaring online business, retail shops in Tavistock, Wells and Minehead.
After the pandemic hammered sales, Carol and Sally remodelled their business and decided to move their focus to online and retail, rather than attending 750 days of shows and events up and down the UK.
Now they employ more than 20 people and more shops are due to open in St Ives and Bath this spring, and still attend the UK’s big events and shows. Sally said: “It’s incredible to think that flapjacks are so popular. We’re particularly looking forward to opening in Plymouth as we’ve had such a warm welcome, and we’re looking forward to making lots of new friends in the great city.”
At each location where Flapjackery has a shop, a charity is nominated to receive donations - 20p for every customer who opts not to use a recyclable box, and a percentage of every Barbican-specific box of six or twelve flapjacks. Last year it raised more than £2,000 for RNLI Minehead, Wells Cathedral and the Dartmoor Search and Rescue Group. Flapjackery Plymouth will support the city’s RNLI station at Millbay Marina off West Hoe Road, home of the Severn Class and the largest boat in the RNLI’s fleet.
