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Village venture is chocolate lovers' taste of paradise
TIMES are hard as the recession bites - but one new business is enjoying the sweet taste of success.
Local chocoholics determined to get their fix are pouring into a luxury chocolatier and sending sales soaring.
Trained patissier David Wardle spotted a gap in the market for upmarket confectionery and opened the Jonathan David Coffee Shop, Chocolatier and Cake Showroom in High Street, Epworth.
Despite the gloomy economy he hasn't looked back, selling over 75kgs of luxurious chocolate in the last month alone.
"We are having to order again and again, the people of Epworth are really embracing this and being loyal too," said David.
"It was a case of giving something that wasn't being offered, here or anywhere to be honest," he explained. "We went out to other places selling chocolates, seeing what people were doing but no-one was doing it all with chocolates, cakes and a cafe.
"This set-up brings in three different revenue streams rather than concentrating on one."
David, who makes the chocolates, has a wealth of experience from the catering industry including spells in five-star hotels such as The Grand in Eastbourne.
Treats such as champagne truffles and caramel hearts are on offer along with spectacular hand-made special occasion cakes.
Among David's customers are regulars from the town's keep-fit and yoga classes who drop in for a well-deserved treat after exercising.
The business employs six other staff and David's ethos is to ensure that customers can visiting the shop can simply relax and enjoy a piece of chocolate heaven.
"One of the key things here is that I didn't want anyone to feel pressurised into buying anything, they can sit anonymously and see how we do things plus there are brochures to browse," he explained.
Barely six months into the venture and with cake orders well on target for his first year, David is already looking to the future.
"I want to push the unusual ingredients and essences that people just can't get in the supermarkets when they want to make their own cakes.
The shop will evolve over time," he added.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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