Independent Hartlepool town centre shop specialising in Spanish cleaning products celebrates milestone
An independent Hartlepool shop has celebrated five years in business after the idea came to the owner in a dream.
Stacey Blair launched La Ama De Casa Spanish Cleaning Products in The Arches, Park Road, in 2021.
She is celebrating her five-year milestone after overcoming a number of challenges along the way.
Stacey decided to sell household Spanish cleaning supplies, which are typically more concentrated and fragrant than those in the UK, following a dream.
She had been buying them herself while on holidays in Spain and from selected UK shops.
Stacey, 46, said: “I went to bed and dreamed I opened a shop. I told my son the next morning and he said ‘Why don’t you?’
“I thought let’s just give it a try and set myself a small budget and it has just grown from there.”
Alongside cleaning products from Spain, the shop also sells home fragrance, candles and homeware.
Stacey, who previously worked in care for 20 years, added: “When I first opened not a lot of people knew what Spanish cleaning products were, so it was all about getting the word out there.”
She has weathered challenges including the cost-of-living crisis and changes to free car parking in the town centre earlier this year.
In the last year, Stacey has launched a website and is focussing on growing her online presence.
"Running a small independent business certainly hasn’t always been easy,” she said. “But I’m incredibly proud of how far it has come and of the lovely customers who have supported me along the way.”