An entrepreneurial mum has been described as having courage for forging ahead with her dream and setting up a home fragrance and gift shop during a pandemic.

Customers have have already fallen in ‘love’ with the different scents and cultural Black celebration cards that you often don’t see elsewhere offered by Sam’s Scents and Aromas which opened end the end of August at 724 London Road, opposite the Arriva bus garage.

Samantha who has been working from home as a independent weight loss consultant for the last seven years promoting the 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan, said: “I love giving support to my clients and helping them to become healthier and happier. I’m still a consultant and can still have clients remotely or see them safely with extra measures in place in my office at the back of the shop.

“I’ve thought about having a shop on and off for a few years and hoped one day I would have one.

“It feels like a dream come true to have my very own shop. Everyone who comes in loves it and says they haven’t come across another shop like it. They love the many different scents that are available. I have also also been told that I have ‘balls’ opening a shop during a pandemic.

“My response is why wait ? If an opportunity comes then grab it. Don’t put things off that you want to do as life is too short which this year has highlighted.”

Samantha explained that the shop’s name doesn’t just stand for her name but her family unit: Sam, Andy, her husband and daughter Marlea (pictured). Her nephew and local celebrity Ashley Inkz did the official opening which she describes as ‘fabulous’ and ‘emotional’ at the same time.

Samantha was due to take part in The London Marathon and was doing various things to help raise funds for Leukaemia Care Uk as a thank you for the ‘amazing support’ they have given to her husband Andy who is recovering from a diagnosis of Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia.

She added: “I sold some home fragrance items to build up my fundraising. I then fell in love with the home fragrances and people wanted me to carry on with it.

“I then came across an empty shop which I thought would be perfect for a home fragrance gift type shop. The restis history!”