I tried the American corner shop celebs rave about and found sweets I'd never seen before

Mr P has always been immersed in the American sweets business, with his family owning several shops. But he wanted to carve out his own path and open a shop that stood out from the rest.

At first, I did not understand why an American sweets shop would be visited by celebrities, such as Vicky Pattison and AJ Tracey. However, after visiting Mr P’s corner shop in Romford, I realised it truly lives up to its reputation.

Unlike the countless London shops with overwhelming shelves of American sweets found in UK supermarkets, Mr P’s features just one shelf stocked with the most exclusive products. I discovered treats I had never seen before, like chocolate frosted doughnut Kit Kats, Dr Pepper cotton candy, and Snickers coffee.

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Mr P’s also features a kitchen that serves hot food and drinks, a unique offering in Britain but quite common in the US. So, you can visit the corner shop not only to grab snacks but also to sit down for breakfast or enjoy a coffee.

Mr P said: “We’re bringing a bit of America to the UK market. Our layout, lighting, and structure are unique, but what really sets us apart is our customer service and community engagement. Our social media presence is also something really important.”

The business started as a delivery service, and Mr P quickly built a strong social media presence, which drove orders. In November 2019, they opened a high street shop, but then Covid-19 hit.

Mr P said: “Before Covid, I had two jobs, but as this picked up, I quit my other job. I was worried when Covid hit, thinking we’d have to close, but we were classified as a food store and stayed open.”

One morning, Mr P was shocked to see a queue stretching down the road. He said: “I thought there was an open house next door, but the crowd was all for us!”

It turns out that several of their videos went viral just as the pandemic hit, prompting people to rush to the shop to stock up on snacks for lockdown. Mr P added: “People started travelling to us because they had nothing else to do, so for the first three months of lockdown, we literally had a one-hour-and-a-half queue to get into the shop every day, we even had to have security outside!”

Celebrities also helped boost Mr P’s popularity. He started by reaching out to local celebrities he knew, like Ricky Rayment from TOWIE, and persistently messaged influencers. He added: “I was sending around 15 messages a week, and I was lucky if one replied, but one was enough to get the ball rolling!”

Mr P proudly showed me a wall filled with photos of celebrity visitors. The shop’s fame has continued to grow, attracting more high-profile customers.

I sampled some best-sellers and got a totally worth-it sugar rush. I started with a slushy from their Jolly Rancher machine - I don’t even know what flavours it had, but it was delicious!

Next, I tried their unique Doritos and cheese sauce cups, which were easier to eat all mixed together rather than having the cheese on top. Still on the savoury side, their Barbecue-flavoured Lays were some of the best crisps I’ve ever tasted.

For sweets, the Milky Bar Kit Kat and white chocolate waffle cones were highlights, as I am a sucker for white chocolate. And their mini cookies with M&M’s took the cookie game to a new level!

Lastly, I enjoyed a variety of candies, with the sour strips and Nerd gummies being my favourites. If you want sweets you can’t find anywhere else, head to Mr P’s corner shop in Romford!