Leicester: Chocolatier's sales at record high despite fire, theft and flood

The business has operated in Leicester city centre since 2013

The owner of a chocolatier in Leicester that was hit by a fire, flood and a burglary in the space of two weeks says he has had his best year for business.

Peter Gardner, founder of Cocoa Amore, said he had to close his shop for four days after a fire in November.

A week later, a tank in the toilet burst causing water damage to the store and a few days after burglars broke in.

Despite a "rough" end to the year, Mr Gardner said he had seen his "best month" of trade since starting in 2013.

Peter Gardner said not increasing prices had helped his business

"It's been a really rough couple of years following a serious fire in November 2021 that wiped us out for five weeks," he said.

"Then there's been the cost of living too and now this.

"We're still here and a lot of people aren't any more; I just wanted to push through and see what happened.

"We've had our best month in years. I'm about 30% up on my previous best year in 2016 for the store. It's been the best year we've had."

A fire - which started at the back of the shop on 14 November - caused the building to be filled with smoke, which meant some stock had to be binned after becoming damaged.

The door of the shop was smashed through during the break-in

It also had to close for several days following the break-in, he added.

The shop, which employs up to 14 staff throughout the year, makes its chocolate on site and hosts workshops and other experiences for its customers.

Mr Gardner said his "loyal customer base" was the reason why business had been booming.

He added: "I've got a good solid loyal customer base that has followed me for years and I'll bend over backwards for them."