End of era as long-standing Kirkcaldy shop announces closure date

The Chocolate Box has been part of the west end of the street for generations, but will shut it doors next Wednesday.

The newsagent and sweetie shop has been run for the past 38 years by Lyn McLeary. She started behind the counter as a 16-year old and then took on the business in December 1997.

The Chocolate Box’s roots go back through several owners and generations - Lyn started out working for Una Sparks - making it one of the longest surviving businesses across the town centre, having outlasted familiar names such as Sharps, Edwin Donaldson, Mentiplay, Sleeves, Galloway’s Pet Shop, and many, many more.

Lyn’s shop door was also the first to open each morning at 5:30am and she has already received flowers and cards from long standing customers ahead of departing the town centre.

With declining passing trade, she decided it was time to call it a day.

She said: “I’ve kept it going as long as I can have, but when I look at the passing trade I decided to call it time. I have a lot of regular customers who have been more like family to me - that is what I will miss the most.”

The Chocolate Box, which was one of the last shops in town to operate on a cash only basis, stocked many old-style sweets as well as newspapers and magazines. Its closure announcement sparked memories on social media about favourite sweets and visits to the shop while working in the town centre or as a pupil at the nearby Balwearie High School during lunch breaks or after school.