Sweet success for brownie maker as move increases production by 250 pc

George Welton set up the business at the age of 18 in 2010, from an outbuilding at his parents’ small holding near York.

In 2014 he moved into a bakery in Ripon, but this year outgrew these premises as sales of Brown and Blond’s range of over 50 different flavoured brownies continued to rise.

The new premises at Wortley Business Park in Leeds are 1,100 sq ft, double the size of the Ripon bakery.

Turnover is forecast to reach £350,000 over the next 12 months and George plans to take on another two bakers, adding to his one current employee, to meet demand.

Wholesale has been the biggest area of recent growth for Brown and Blond - it now accounts for 60 per cent of turnover.

The company will continue to sell its brownies at the region’s markets and events, including the Great Yorkshire Show, whilst growing the wholesale side of the business.

“We have doubled the square footage we had in Ripon which will allow us to invest in more equipment and staff and achieve our long term goal of taking the taste of Yorkshire Brown and Blond brownies nationwide,” said Mr Welton.

Mr Welton experiments to provide customers with unusual flavours such as sour cherry and bourbon and lemon meringue chocolate brownies.

One of his first trade customers six years ago was Leeds-based Italian espresso bars, La Bottega Milanese, located in Leeds city centre.