The little-known dessert chain quietly planning to take over UK high street

Over the last decade, dessert shops have been taking over the high street, in what some social media users have dubbed an ‘epidemic’.

There are numerous chains, with each one proclaiming to be the crème de la crème of sugary treats. 

The big hitters are Creams Cafe – which markets itself as the UK’s ‘favourite dessert parlour’ and has around 100 stores – and Kaspa’s, the self-proclaimed ‘King of desserts’ with 104 locations.

But have you heard of Little Dessert Shop? 

The business, said to be home to ‘the UK’s most viral’ gelato, cakes, shakes, waffles, crepes, and cookie dough, has been around since 2015. And while it isn’t quite as well-known as its competitors, it’s likely this won’t be the case for much longer. 

In the last 10 years, the company has opened 50 franchise-operated shops across the UK, with 20 of these having launched during the pandemic, as the demand for treat deliveries via platforms like JustEat and Deliveroo skyrocketed. Despite more than 13,000 high street stores closing for good in 2024, Little Dessert Shop also managed to open another seven shops last year.

They aren’t stopping any time soon either, with plans to launch 10 to 15 more branches in 2025, targeting areas such as Plymouth, Southampton, Brighton and Bournemouth.

The ultimate goal is to double their numbers by the end of 2027 to have 100 Little Dessert Shops across the UK, which CEO Zaeem Chohan says is a ‘very realistic target’.

Even so, Zaeem – who runs the business with co-founder Maz Ali – insists it’s ‘never a race’. 

The 37-year-old tells Metro: ‘We want to make sure we’re bringing on the right people for the brand, opening the right locations, and offering that support to the people that do open.

‘So although we are looking to expand, and will continue to expand, the rate at which we do that isn’t our utmost priority. We want to make sure that it’s right.’ 

As well as finding the right franchisees, Zaeem says they’ve put a lot of work into their food too, claiming to be the ‘only dessert brand in the UK’ to supply all of their own products via a central bakery. 

‘We produce all the products, so we know no one else in the market will have them,’ he explains. ‘It gives us great control and means we’re able to offer our products at lower costs to our partners, and our consumers.’

While having their own bakery is something the business prides itself on, Zaeem isn’t afraid to admit that the ideas behind the sweet treats they produce aren’t always 100% original.

There are currently a whopping 150 items on the Little Dessert Shop menu — everything from pistachio milk cakes, to retro cornflake tarts, as well as a selection of ‘viral’ dishes inspired by social media. 

This selection includes the 24-layer chocolate Brucey Cake (£14.95), which looks similar to Get Baked’s famous Bruce/Bertha (£17), cube-shaped Croissants costing £7.50 each – a bit like the ones Le Deli Robuchon in London started selling in 2023 (£6.95) – and aesthetic £6.50 Custard Crumble Pots topped with marshmallow fluff à la Humble Crumble (prices from £6.95).

Little Dessert Shop’s aim with this new menu is to take desserts they know their customers want and ‘offer them nationwide’, making trends accessible to everyone, not just those who can afford to live in London.

‘We’re constantly looking for new options for our customers, and of course we take inspiration from social media and look at what our demographics are interacting with,’ Zaeem states.

‘We then offer those products nationwide… and we’re confident with our bakery we can provide it to a level that’s better than anyone else.’

But is this really the case? Reviews online for the chain’s products are mixed, with some hailing them as ‘heavenly’ and saying the chocolate cake in particular is ‘fantastic’ on Trustpilot, but others have branded the desserts ‘sub-standard’ and claim they’re ‘not worth the money’.

The chain’s middling 3.3 star rating on the platform hasn’t stopped the viral menu from been bringing in the Gen Z customers though. As such, the business is keen to put a focus on pop culture trends, and recently tapped into the success of Wicked, releasing a green and pink matcha drink to tie in with the movie.

It’s a plan that seems to be working for them, as they’ve racked up 211,000 followers on Instagram, and more than 160,000 on TikTok, where their videos have garnered 2.7 million likes.

Another way they’ve drawn in Gen Z customers is through a recent rebrand, which has seen their shops, website and social accounts undergo a makeover to become as aesthetically pleasing as possible, putting the viral menu at the forefront to make everything look ‘more innovative, modern and fun’.

This move is likely the key to their sweet success, according to retail and hospitality expert, Ariana Sverdlik.

Ariana, from contactless payment company SumUp, tells Metro: ‘These small businesses are thriving by tapping into a generation obsessed with sweet treats, nostalgic experiences, and social media-worthy indulgences. Gen Z isn’t just buying desserts; they’re curating experiences.

‘For a generation that thrives on documenting every moment, desserts offer the perfect photogenic canvas for their social media storytelling. While there are clear concerns about market saturation and health implications, the sector’s growth shows no signs of melting away. Smart operators are expanding through franchising, adapting to local tastes, and creating spaces that are as much about visual appeal as they are about flavour.’

If you ask Zaeem the firm’s secret though, it’s much more simple.

‘We just want to make people happy, that’s always been our key,’ he says. ‘We’re a very family-orientated business, and it’s not the easiest of times for a lot of people, so we want our customers to be able to come out, enjoy good food, have a nice evening and get away from the difficulties of life.’

Weekends and evenings are the busiest time for the business, with many of the shops staying open until 11pm or later. Creams and Kaspa’s have similar opening hours, and it’s thought to be one of the main reasons why dessert parlours have become so popular – especially within the Muslim community.

As users on Reddit have pointed out, the shops ‘fill a niche’ for those who don’t drink, offering a place to socialise that isn’t a restaurant or pub, and as an added bonus, all the food is halal.

Zaeem believes Little Dessert Shop is ‘definitely’ popular with Muslims, but stresses that the business is for ‘everyone in the UK’.

‘We want everyone to have an opportunity to enjoy dessert and enjoy a night out and spend time with their family, so there was no need to add any ingredients that were non-vegetarian, or even alcoholic to our brand,’ he says.

‘The last thing we want is to come to a particular town, or place and people be unable to go to our shops because of personal choices or religious beliefs. We want everyone to be included.’

And with 100,000 different ways to customise your order at Little Dessert Shop, there’s bound to be something to suit every taste.

As for why they set up shop in the first place, Zaeem says they cottoned on to the ‘gap in the market’ pretty quickly, as it was very noticeable in their hometown of Wolverhampton.

‘There weren’t that many places we wanted to go out to for an evening with family and friends, and we would have to travel out to places like Birmingham, which is about 40 minutes away. 

‘From visiting Birmingham, we could see that a big dessert trend was going to be coming, and we wanted to get ahead of that curve.

‘We realised there was an opportunity at home to give back to our community, so we opened in Queen Street near the city centre and we were lucky that it was a fantastic success.

‘Now people don’t have to travel out of Wolverhampton to enjoy a night out.’

They also don’t have to travel very far to find something savoury to eat, as Zaeem and Maz have also recently launched their own fast food chain, known as Betsy’s Burgers.

Currently they have two standalone Betsy’s locations, in Wolverhampton and in Stoke-On-Trent, as well as ‘X’ stores, selling both Betsy’s and Little Dessert Shop products in Wolverhampton, Lichfield, Crewe, and Stafford.

As with the dessert side of things, the menu at Betsy’s is massive and covers everything from Brooklyn-style smashed burgers, to waffle breakfast sandwiches, slurpees, dirty fries, football-inspired combo meals, and chicken wings.

‘Some places attack the burger market, or attack the chicken market, but I think Betsy’s really does both,’ Zaeem explains. ‘The menu covers all of the meals of the day and combines our two brands, it’s a unique concept and we’re the only brand to offer something like this.’

He adds that he and Maz have been running the first few shops themselves to get everything set up the way they want, before rolling it out and exploring franchise opportunities.

‘We’re prepared now, so hopefully you’re going to see a big expansion on all three fronts soon — Little Dessert Shop, Betsy’s, and the X model.’

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