A FORMER chocolate shop in Portishead could soon re-open as a craft shop.

In an exclusive interview with the Times, Yvonne Dutton, a director of the company that owns retail premises at the Village Square in Phoenix Way at The Village Quarter, has set straight rumours about the closure of Chocolate One and speculation about it becoming the town’s second post office.

The 52-year-old first launched Chocolate One in 2009 but sold the business due to health problems which have now been resolved. Yvonne’s staff took on the business and continued to operate from the premises.

Yvonne said: “The lease on the shop expired at the end of April and the partners running Chocolate One had advised me in February that they were looking for alternative premises.

“With that in mind and hearing that the post office was looking for an outlet for a Post Office Local in the area, I made some tentative enquiries.

“I also have a keen interest in crafts and already have an online craft business, so I thought if it worked out I could take the business into the shop and run a post office counter aside it.”

If everything goes according to plan, Yvonne could have the shop open in the next few weeks. However, a second post office service in the town would not be in operation so soon.

After expressing her interest with the Post Office, Yvonne will now be progressing her application and the process from start to finish can take about 23 weeks.

Yvonne added: “Portishead could have a second post office facility in time for Christmas but probably only just and that’s only if all goes smoothly and both parties are in agreement. It’s a case of watch this space.”