Heavenly Desserts in Burnley named Best Dessert Shop in Lancashire at England's Business Awards 2024

The accolade comes as a result of exceptional performance and glowing customer feedback for the family-run business. Franchisee Daoud Tahir secured the trophy for the exceptional performance of the franchise’s Burnley restaurant which he opened with his partner Sannah Sajid only 10 months ago on the Pioneer Place leisure complex.

It followed national chains Starbucks, Icaro Lounge, Nandos and The Reel Cinema in making the leisure development its new home. And this week Taco Bell announced it will be opening on the £23M site.

The entrepreneurial couple received the award following a black-tie ceremony at The Mercure Piccadilly Hotel in Manchester, which celebrated a wide variety of local businesses from the Lancashire region. Daoud (26) said: “Having opened our Heavenly Desserts business only 10 months ago, I’m absolutely thrilled to have been awarded Best Dessert Shop, not only for Burnley, but for the entire county of Lancashire. The award and the touching feedback we’ve received from the community is testament to the diligence of myself and our 20-plus team, and the belief that you can achieve anything with the right attitude and commitment.

“I left a stable career in finance at the age of 24 because I’ve always had the drive to run a business of my own, so I took the leap of faith after being impressed by Heavenly Desserts’ unparalleled approach to premium dessert dining and exceptional support from the head office team, including our brilliant area manager Warren Smith.

“Although we’re part of a national franchise, our restaurant is a family-run operation through and through, with my sister Faiza Tahir managing the store along with myself and my wife getting involved in the daily tasks required to make the store a success. I’m confident that this award will only boost us and the team’s morale further, with the win having already cemented our decision to broaden our franchise business further over the coming years.”

Heavenly Desserts is renowned for its high quality and constantly evolving menu, comprised of delicious croffles, cheesecakes, dessert tapas and more. The brand is also known for its Instagrammable interiors and fantastic customer service. The business has sites in major cities like London, Manchester, Liverpool.

Yousif Aslam, co-managing director of Heavenly Desserts, added: “As we embark on our mission to become the UK’s favourite dessert destination, we are incredibly proud to celebrate the achievements of our franchisees and business partners such as Daoud and Sannah who are taking us one step closer to achieving this goal.

“To be awarded such an accolade after less than a year in operation is a remarkable achievement, and we look forward to further supporting Daoud as he thrives in his hospitality career.”