ONE of the oldest sweet shops Belfast city centre is to close after almost half a century of trading.
McKay’s Confectioners in Queen’s Arcade will bring the shutters down for good on Saturday evening, some 46 years after brothers Sean and Henry McKay set up shop.
The McKay brothers, who married sisters Anne Marie and Deborah Murray, at one time ran four shops in and around Belfast city centre, including the well-known pipe and cigar specialist, Miss Moran in Church lane.
Sean’s daughter Natalie, who has run the Queen’s Arcade shop for the past 22 years, said the loss of footfall in the city centre has hit the business.
“The footfall in the city centre hasn’t come back from Covid. It’s coming back slowly, but not quick enough for us,” she said.
The family also suffered a double tragedy last year, with Natalie’s mum Anne Marie and her aunt Deborah passing away within four months of each other.
“It was a hard year last year,” said Natalie.
Born and bred in Ligoniel, the McKay’s came from a family of butchers.
“We had a shop on the Ormeau Road, but it was burnt out in 1973,” recalled Sean (82).
“We had no option but to go down to the city centre to work.”
Sean and his younger brother Henry initially worked as butchers in Galloways in the city centre before opening their own confectionary shop in Castle Lane in 1976.
The enterprising brothers went on to own a number of premises in the city centre, including in Castle Place, Callendar Street and Miss Moran’s in Church Lane, before eventually moving into Queen’s Arcade.
“In the mid-70s it was competition for cigarette pricing,” recalled Sean. “We had to compete with Littlewoods and other shops.
“If you were 2p cheaper than another shop, they came here.
"The big stores ruined us in some ways,” he added.
“People are going to miss us.”
While she grew up working in the family stores, Natalie eventually took over the running of the business 22 years ago.
She said more than 20 members of her immediate and extended family had worked in the various shops down the years.
“My granny worked here, my mum, my dad, my uncle, my auntie, and all my cousins.
“It will be a sad time.
“It’s bittersweet for me. I’m an outgoing person and I’ll miss the customers and the chat.
“I just the love to see the people coming in and that’s the part that will make me cry when I leave.”
While the business had three full-time staff prior to the Primark fire, Natalie has been running the store on her own in recent months.
And with a ten-year lease coming up for renewal, she said the prospect of signing a new decade-long lease posed too much of a risk.
“I have a young family, so the last thing I want to do is take a risk and stay for another ten years in the hope that the footfall is going to eventually come back.”
Natalie the decision to close was hers, adding that her landlord had been very supportive and had expressed a desire for McKay’s to remain.
“Covid has changed things for people’s lives. City centres are struggling, and I think when things become quieter in the next few months, a lot of smaller independents will close.
“The footfall just isn’t there. It’s just not the same as it was.
“We’ve worked hard, all of our family are hard workers and we’ve been very lucky to stay in business for as long as we had.
“We’re very lucky for the loyal customers who have stood beside us and we’ll miss them all dreadfully.”
