PORTISHEAD is still bucking the trend and while many companies close down across the country, new businesses continue to open in the growing town.

PORTISHEAD is still bucking the trend and while many companies close down across the country, new businesses continue to open in the growing town.

This month has seen two new businesses snap up retail units built as part of a new homes development by Charles Church in the Village Quarter and both are confident of success.

Mum-of-three, Yvonne Dutton, a former banker, has launched a chocolate making business called Chocolate One at the Village Square in Phoenix Way.

Yvonne, aged 49, left her employment last year to pursue her passion for chocolate. She is a trained artisan chocolatier and decided to buy the shop and install her chocolate making machinery after her confections proved a hit at farmers' markets in Portishead and Clevedon.

Yvonne said: "I just love creating new types of chocolate and plan to introduce unique and new ranges all the time to match the seasons.

"I am hoping to perfect a beer chocolate in time for Father's Day. As a small business we will also be able to custom design chocolate for people."

All the chocolates at Chocolate One are handmade and many of the boxes are eco friendly and made of chocolate too. Yvonne also makes bespoke celebration cakes.

For details of the range you can drop into the shop which is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10am-6pm or call 01275 817961.

Next door to Chcolate One you will find a new model railway shop called Model Railways Direct.

Mark Burley, aged 43, who has lived in Portishead for the past four years, started his business from home and has been trading successfully for the past three years.

He said: "The business has outgrown my home and I decided that a retail outlet where I could meet people face to face would be the way forward. So this is an expansion of my business.

"It will allow me to hold more stock and still offer my customers internet prices from the shop. People can of course also continue to purchase goods online."

Model Railways Direct sells the full range of Hornby products and other brands are now being added weekly.

The shop is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10am-5pm but the telephone line is open from 9am-9pm seven days a week.

For further information call 01275 774224, visit www.modelrailwaysdirect.co.uk or call in to the shop in Phoenix Way.