The sweet taste of success
BUSINESS STARTED AS A HOBBY IS RELOCATING TO NEWMARKET
VISITS to a town’s new indoor market are about to get a whole lot sweeter with the opening of a new business.
Local independent business The Handmade Brownie Company will launch an eatery inside Newmarket, in Coalville’s Marlborough Square, this week.
Customers will be able to treat themselves to brownies - with flavours including chocolate orange, Kinder and Oreo - and other goodies including rocky road and cookies.
Breakfasts and light lunches will also be available, as well as barista coffee.
It will open for the first time on Friday, which is the day that the whole of Newmarket is launching.
The Handmade Brownie Company was started in 2018 by husband and wife Zara and Gavin Williams.
It began as a sideline, which the couple fitted in between looking after their two children and doing their day jobs - trained chef Gavin working full-time managing a deli, and Zara working part-time in a pharmacy.
The business has steadily built up over the past three years, and, according to Zara, did particularly well during the pandemic.
“Covid really catapulted the business. Everything went a bit crazy last year with postal orders”, she said.
“We were very fortunate with Covid, because I know some businesses were not as lucky.”
The couple have a website, enabling customers to order for delivery or collection, and also sell their sweet treats at food festivals and markets.
They previously had a stall at Coalville’s existing indoor market, before deciding to make the move a short distance to Newmarket.
“We were looking to upscale, but you can’t do that without a huge outlay of money for equipment and rent.
“So when the opportunity came up to move over to Newmarket in a commercial unit there, it made sense for us to move over and operate as a bakery and an eatery at the same time,” said Zara.
Talking about what makes their brownies stand out, she continued: “We think we’ve got a really good recipe - and we actually won a Great Taste Award last year.
“We use really high quality ingredients, which really makes a difference. We use Belgian chocolate, locally sourced butter and free range eggs.”
The new venture will be open every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 8am until 4pm.
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In a statement last month, North West Leicestershire District Council said: “With a street food type set up and a space for pop-up traders to come along for events, the market has been designed for an inclusive shopping experience.”