Member Article

Cumbrian entrepreneurs taste success with Chocolate Cottage

In the busy little village of Grasmere, entrepreneurial husband and wife team, Richard and Angela Barker set up a confectionary shop, Grasmere Chocolate Cottage.

The couple invested £15k of their own money and with additional help of a £9,900 Start Up Loan the company launched in August 2013.

This years profits are over £40k and 40 % up on year one, turnover for its first year was £110k.

The company employ the husband and wife duo as well as two part time staff and it handmakes all of its chocolate.

Following on from the company’s success so far the dynamic duo are planning a range of chocolate workshops, upgrade to their website and stocking their products within hotels in the area.

Richard said: “We believe every customer is so important to our business, customer service as well as consistent quality are extremely high on our agenda.

“It costs nothing to smile and say hello!

“There are many challenges like having enough hours in the day; making enough chocolate to keep up with demand; balancing progress with continuous quality; not losing our ‘Handmade Lakeland identity’; keeping abreast of all areas of business, finance, marketing, staffing, expansion,modern social media and marketing. I could go on….

“The easiest thing about doing business is dealing with the public and making chocolate probably, but when time permits I love planning, developing and marketing but as most new business owners will tell you time is at a premium.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sophia Taha .