Love Brownies opens flagship shop in Leeds

Move is part of expansion that has seen the Yorkshire headquartered company double in size over the last 18 months

A Yorkshire headquartered business that bakes chocolate brownies and sells them online and in shops and cafés across the UK has opened a new flagship store in the heart of Leeds. 

The move is part of a major expansion that has seen Love Brownies double in size over the last 18 months.

The award winning café and gifting brand that started on owner and head baker Chantal Teal’s kitchen table in Ilkley in 2009 has opened five brownie shops and cafés across the UK in 2021 and will open two more this year, bringing its total number of company owned and franchised outlets to 18.

The latest store, which opened its doors in Victoria Gate on October 6, will be followed by cafés in Kingston upon Thames and Windsor, with more shops in the pipeline to open in 2022.

The company’s online business has also gone from strength to strength, following a big spike in sales of online gifts in 2020.

Love Brownies employs 12 people at its headquarters in Ilkley and around 70 people across its retail outlets.

Tina Jessop, Love Brownies’ head of marketing, says: “To have increased our retail footprint on this scale after what was such a challenging year for the entire hospitality industry is a huge achievement.

“All areas of our business have performed well and we’ve capitalised on that success by investing in the brand and fulfilling our expansion plans. 

“Being a franchise-based operation, it’s great to be enabling people to set up successful businesses and breathe new life into towns, cities and high streets.

“Being a Yorkshire headquartered brand, Leeds is the perfect place to open our flagship store and café and we know shoppers and workers of the city will love our decadent brownies and Dales inspired breakfast and lunch menu.”