Sweet success for chocolatier

HOTEL Chocolat bucked the High Street gloom as demand for upmarket chocolate boosted sales.

The chocolatier posted an 11pc rise in sales to £116m in the year to July 1 as it continued to open stores. Hotel Chocolat opened 15 stores during the period taking its total estate to 113. Profits also jumped 13pc to £12.7m, beating market expectations.

Emily Stella, lead retail analyst at digital media company Global Data, added: ‘Hotel Chocolat is a force to be reckoned with.’