A NEW sweet shop has gotten off to a flying start after revealing more than 40,000 customers have visited in just three months.

Haribo opened its first Braintree branch in March at the Braintree Village shopping complex.

Braintree is the latest in a string of Haribo stores opening in the UK, including Pontefract, York, Cheshire, Ashford, Somerset, and the East and West Midlands.

The brand, which is the UK’s leading sweet manufacturer, has proven to be a hit with Braintree residents.

So far, in just three months, more than 40,000 people have walked through the shop’s doors.

The shop stands out from your average sweet shop as it provides a range of Haribo sweet treats from across the world, which aren’t otherwise available in the UK, as well as new and exclusive non-food merchandise.

The news comes after the shop was visited by Braintree MP James Cleverly.

Mr Cleverly was given a tour by Haribo UK managing director Jon Hughes.

Mr Hughes said: “It was an absolute pleasure to welcome James Cleverly to our eighth UK store.

“While continuing to invest in exciting new products for our customers to share and enjoy, we are thrilled to be extending our retail presence across the UK with our store in Essex.

“It was great to talk to James about our stores and to introduce him to the new team that are starting their career journeys with Haribo.

“As a brand, we provide our customers with sweet treats they know and love, and I hope that we have managed to capture that for James during his visit.”

“We would welcome him back to the store anytime.”

Mr Cleverly added: “I am very proud of how Braintree attracts businesses from across the UK and the world.

“It’s great to see such a well-loved brand committing to Essex.

“I wish the Haribo team well and I hope that these treats will bring some fun to families all over Braintree.”

For more information visit haribo.com/en-gb/about-us/stores.