A NEW business owner in Cockermouth has said the re-opening of the Cocker Bridge has been a major benefit for her chocolate shop.

Clare Doherty, a former teacher of 27 years who spent the last two years as an English teacher at St Josephs School in Workington, opened her artisan shop Choc of the North on Main Street in Cockermouth in November, despite difficulties for many businesses in the town.

Clare signed the lease and took it to the solicitor to complete on the Friday prior to the Courthouse building partially collapsing into the river on October 8, causing the Cocker Bridge to close.

She was left with the decision of whether to open a business at a time that was difficult for even the most established businesses in the town.

Clare said: "We were in two minds really about whether to even bother opening, because if you miss the Christmas rush then your year is very difficult.

"I went round and asked all the different businesses about how they had been affected... some were saying it's terrible, others were saying it's not too bad.

"We just decided we have put so much work in already, we would just go for it."

Clare opened Choc of the North on the weekend of the Cockermouth Christmas light switch-on, on November 18.

She said: "It was really busy that day, with it being a special weekend [but] after that it was pretty quiet. Our problem has been with no-one being able to drive past, most people have got no idea where we are.

"It's been really difficult, but local people have been really supportive, they want a new business in the town."

The business is a real passion project for Clare who hopes to curate a collection of 'luxury artisan' chocolate from around the UK, as well as creating a room of Cumbrian-made chocolate from suppliers Castle Chocolates at Carlisle.

Talking about business since the bridge re-opened, Clare said: "It's been really different and it's hard to know if that is also due to it getting close to Christmas, but I don't think it can be... it's just because there are so many people walking past, driving past.

"There is a lot more foot traffic and actual traffic, buses going past, so people stop and look. There was actually a guy who said I just never bother coming up this end of Cockermouth because I just thought it was all shut, even though there's a sign up saying 'Open for Business'.

"If you're not an established business people aren't coming to look for you.

"Since the bridge opened it's been loads better."