A BUSINESS specialising in tasty treats and desserts has been crowned the best takeaway in the whole of the south east.
Cookies & Cones in Leigh Broadway received the title at a glitzy awards evening on Tuesday at The Londoner on Leicester Square.
The judging panel consisted of a host of big names including TV star Gok Wan MBE, TikTok’s Poppy O’Toole, and Great British Menu judge Andi Oliver.
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All the finalists at the event were welcomed by a champagne reception before enjoying a three-course meal.
Matt Davis, owner and CEO of Cookies & Cones, said: “Winning this award is an incredible achievement for my team and I and we can’t thank our customers enough.
“It is fantastic recognition for our in-store teams who are at the forefront of the business and always strive to provide amazing customer service.”
The company were named as one of the finalists back in November 2022 for the south east region after gaining votes from customers and the general public before an expert panel of judges decided the winner.
Cookies & Cones was established in 2018 and had a small team of just three employees running their shop in Clements Arcade, Rayleigh.
Within just four years, the company has successfully expanded to nine stores as well as recently opening a new head office and production facility.
The brand specialises in creating jaw-dropping bakery products, small batch gelato, waffles, and thick milkshakes.
Matt added: “It is an extremely exciting time here at Cookies & Cones.
“We are so fortunate to be able to continue to grow the brand and although we now have a store estate of nine stores, we are still a small local business at heart with the passion and values to match.
“All made possible by my amazing team both at HQ and in our stores as without them, none of this is possible.
“I would also like to thank our customers for continuing to support us as they’re the reason we’re here.”
The awards evening was presented by Joel Dommett and a number of celebrity guests attended including Fred Sirieix from First Dates, TV personalities and podcast hosts
Oliver Proudlock and Emma Connolly, as well as Love Island stars Tasha Ghouri and Andrew Le Page.
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