New Gosport milkshake and sandwich shop Hoopers is officially open

Hoopers Milkshake and Sandwich Bar, in Gosport, has officially opened their doors to customers and people will not be disappointed as the team are offering a range of sweet treats.

The shop, which has taken the place of Tilly’s Treats and has seen a £6,000 renovation, has been completely transformed into a nautical themed eatery that offers a range of milkshake flavours, sandwiches, Cornish pasties, home-made cakes and chocolates.

The owner, Christopher Hooper, is a chocolatier and is currently still in the navy, but he wanted to ensure that he had a secure income for when he left the forces, which prompted him to set up the family-run business.

Chris said: ‘We spent the first month cleaning and then three weeks decorating and when you look through you can see how aesthetically pleasing it is and that is really important for us. I wanted it to look fantastic and allow people to get a good first impression and it does that.’

Chris has gone into business with his sister in law, Katie Hooper, and they have kept the military roots within the centre of the shop.

Katie’s husband, John, is also in the navy, meaning they live in a military quarter and they decided to sell cakes that have been home-made by Piping Pirate, who is part of the military community.

The team opened their doors on October 3 and have seen a ‘steady’ trade which they are excited about, and Christopher said that once the shop is better established, he would like to offer a helping hand to people with mental health struggles and military men with post traumatic stress disorder.

He said: ‘I started to make chocolate after my mother passed away and I used that as therapy and if I can it as therapy, others can too, so I am hoping once I’ve left the navy and I am in a good position I would like to start up a chocolate class once a week for people with mental health issues and PTSD.’

The opening saw Caroline Dinenage cut the ribbon to mark the first day of many in business.