The Wee Stores

The Wee Stores was an old-fashioned little sweet shop squeezed in between the mews houses on Pembroke Lane. As kids we used to go in there the odd time to buy sweets. My memories are hazy but the couple who worked there were old and there was very little merchandise. Whatever they did have was out of date and musty.

Practically all the old mews buildings on the lanes around Ballsbridge have been renovated and expanded. Some of them look like lovely updated versions of the original stone buildings and others are completely unsympathetic, modern and out of keeping with the character of the lanes.

Sheridans have had a lovely delicatessen in the old Wee Stores premises for the past four years and nine months. It has always been well stocked with everything you might need for a good lunch: cheeses, pates, olives, breads, crackers and lovely French lemonade.

Whenever I went in, John, a native Breton with a wonderfully strong accent always had time for a typically obsessive French conversation about food. Maggie and Rossa were equally helpful and charming and always had time to talk and great suggestions too.

On Friday evening Sheridans closed its doors. John and the other staff invited their loyal customers into the tiny shop for some prosecco, canapés, and to say goodbye.
It was a lovely evening and there were lots of friends and neighbours chatting and enjoying an impromptu street party. It made us all wish that it had been a regular event.

All the people who have worked in Sheridans now have plans to continue to work with food in one way or another. I talked to one young man who was absolutely passionate about bread. He plans to start a bakery using very special high quality wheat. He explained in great detail the differences between various types of wheat (apparently Irish wheat is of a very low quality) and his descriptions of what he had discovered inspired me to want to try the best breads made from the best wheat in the world.

Now there’s a little space in Pembroke lane and we all wonder what its next incarnation will be.