A BROWNIE-MAKING business in Ilkley is expanding - two years after opening its first bakery.

Love Brownies says it has gone from strength to strength since starting as an online business a decade ago.

The firm’s owners, Ilkley residents Chantal and Lee Teal, launched a bakery and cafe in the town in 2016 and soon realised, as they racked up awards and attracted more customers, that they needed to grow.

They are now about to do just that by opening new stores in other parts of the country and expanding their Ilkley cafe.

Head Baker and co-owner Chantal said: “Our online sales have sky-rocketed in the ten years since offering gifted brownies online.

“We opened our bakery and café in our home town because of local demand, and our customers have quadrupled in numbers year on year.

“We are now in our fourth kitchen and we need an even bigger one to accommodate our increase in sales.

“So we took the decision earlier this year to expand through franchising the business, and things seem to be going full-steam ahead as we are soon to move into our fifth kitchen – which will give extra space to increase production in the future.

“The retail café experience Love Brownies is known for will become the same concept for our new Cheshire store, and for a Greater London Southgate store, while our London Islington concept - due to open in early November - will be a takeaway drink and brownie outlet with brownie gifts.

“Ilkley will remain in the Love Brownies portfolio and will expand in coming months to become a larger café setting.”

The company’s bakery kitchen, meanwhile, is to be moved to Howgill near Barden, part of the Devonshire Estate.

Chantal added: “This will enable us to cope with the new growth - relocating the Ilkley kitchen will allow us to increase the café seating in Ilkley.

“We hope to be cooking from our new kitchen by mid-November.

“We have a two-year growth plan to open new Love Brownies stores and we need to make sure we have the capacity to supply the increasing demand for our award-winning brownies.”

The business, meanwhile, is partnering with Yockenthwaite Cereals to co-brand a number of chocolate products, including a Love Brownies Chocolate Yockenthwaite Granola, Chocolate Muesli, and Chocolate Porridge - for each of its retail stores.