The inside story of Glickman's - Glasgow's oldest sweet shop

The Herald Scotland

09-05-2025

'In the end, we found that crushed white sugar mice worked best, so on the TV they held up a plastic bag filled with that.'
'The best request was a crowbar to fling into the Clyde for an episode where someone was disposing of a murder weapon," her daughter Julie Birkett jumps in to add.
"We ended up making a long stick out of rock candy."
Pictured: Mother and daughter duo Irene and Julie Birkett of Glickman's (Image: Supplied)
It's just one of the fascinating stories the pair manages to pack into an hour-long interview, each taking turns to spur each other on.
There's talk of a visit from TV chef Jamie Oliver, a chat with a customer which led to the adoption of a beloved canine friend, Bailey, and even the start of a long-term romantic relationship.
'These paramedics used to stop in now and then for sweets, and one day one of them came in alone to ask if I would ever consider going on a motorbike trip with his colleague,' Julie tells me.
'I said 'eh, no way'.
'Anyway. That's us still together 15 years later'.
Pictured: Glickman's was established in 1903 by Isaac Glickman (Image: Supplied)
Before any of this would come to pass, the retail shop's journey first began with Isaac Glickman, grandfather to Irene and great-grandfather to Julie in 1903.
Although details of his early life remain scarce, it is believed that he emigrated from Poland to Glasgow with the ambition of selling homemade confectionery.
The shop became known for its tablet recipe, utilising cream rather than butter, and when war later broke out, queues for aniseed-infused 'cough tablet', which was deemed medicinal and therefore unaffected by rationing, would often stretch down the street.
In more recent years, having discovered Glickman's handwritten recipes after his passing, the current owners undertook a mission to preserve them, translating his text from old metrics and committing themselves to learning the craft of confectionery by enrolling at the Food Technology College, now City of Glasgow College.
Irene says: 'When my father died, the shop was passed down to our family.
'Though we had no prior experience in confectionery, Julie and I were determined to maintain his recipes.
'Mum and I went along to the college once a week, every week, for two years,' Julie confirms.
Pictured: Glickman's is renowned for its handmade sweets, which include classic favourites including cream tablet, macaroon cake, candy balls, and Krispets (Image: Supplied)
Holding a key role in the shop's day-to-day operations, she is keen to stress the importance of preserving these traditional recipes: 'Our sweets are not just a treat; they're a link to the past. Whether it's a bag of soor plooms or a handful of handmade tablet, our customers are experiencing something that has been part of Glasgow's history for generations.'
While each day brings with it the joy of interacting with customers old and new, maintaining an independently run retail shop in the current climate is not without its difficulties.
Their location on the edge of Glasgow Green means that Glickman's will often be affected by nearby football matches or be forced to shut due to music concerts and festivals which the team say leave locals less likely to leave their homes in search of a sweet treat.
Still, one of the toughest challenges in the shop's history also served as a welcome reminder of what their service means to the community.
'Covid wiped out so many small businesses like ours across Scotland,' Irene said.
'We were shut, then open, and shut again, so there was no sense of normality at all: it was just awful.
'When we opened again, we thought that there was no way we would ever catch up, but we were totally shocked at just how many people were happy to see us back.
'We're so grateful to them. It was quite an amazing thing.'
Pictured: Take your pick of sweet treats from the shelves (Image: Supplied)
Though the peak of the pandemic is slowly becoming a distant memory, Glickman's now must contend with the rising prices of ingredients from chocolate to coconut, over which they have no control.
'All of your costs are going up and essentially you're working for less money, but we don't want to put our prices up,' Julie says.
'We've always been known for keeping our prices reasonable and some of our customers have been coming here for decades.
'It's hard, taking the hit, but the support we continue to get from them has been really encouraging.'
Beyond its historical significance, Glickman's Confectionery plays an active role in the local community.
The shop has long supported the Glasgow Film Theatre's Movie Memories initiative, a dementia-friendly film programme that seeks to make cinema accessible to everyone.
The team contributes to the initiative by providing small bags of sweet nostalgia for attendees, helping individuals living with dementia feel more connected to their surroundings.
Pictured: Irene carries on her grandfather's legacy at Glickman's (Image: Supplied)
Over the years, they have also worked extensively with community groups such as The Brownies and also give those visiting Glasgow a warm welcome by acting as a pit stop for the red double-decker buses which ferry tourists from landmark to landmark.
Julie says: 'Our goal is to be more than just a sweet shop.
'It's about fostering a sense of community and belonging: whether through supporting Movie Memories or bringing together generations of Glasgow residents, we are proud to play our part in creating a welcoming space for all.'
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This year, celebrating Glasgow's 850th birthday as one of the 44 establishments participating in the Taste the Place initiative, Glickman's Confectionery invites both locals and visitors to savour the flavours of the city's past while celebrating its vibrant future.
Whether enjoying a traditional sweet or learning about the history behind each treat, Glickman's offers a unique opportunity to experience a taste of Glasgow's cultural heritage.
Irene says: 'We are honoured to be part of Glasgow's 850-year history.
'Taste the Place is an excellent opportunity for us to share not only our sweets but also our story with those who walk through our door.'
'Neither of us could believe it when they asked if we would be involved,' Julie continues.
'The food scene in Glasgow is amazing at the moment with such a huge variety of talent, we're absolutely delighted to be included on the list.'
Glickman's Confectionery is located at 157 London Road in Glasgow.
To learn more about Taste the Place, visit https://tastetheplace.co.uk.