Essex dessert shop wins "best takeaway" award
Cookies and Cones in Leigh on Sea was one of 12 regional winners
A dessert shop in Essex has won the award for the "best takeaway" in the South East.
Cookies and Cones in Leigh on Sea was one of 12 regional winners to come out on top at the Just East Restaurant awards.
The award ceremony was hosted by comedian, Joel Dommet, while other celebrities including the likes of Gok Wan took part in the judging panel.
According to owner of Cookies and Cones, Matt Davis the night was "phenomenal" and he was "completely surprised".
He explained why he thought they'd taken the top spot: "When I think of a takeaway, I think Indian, pizza, or Chinese. So I think we just stood out.
"I also think people are having 'fakeaways' at home and then thinking 'I'll treat myself to a dessert because it's £5 instead of £25."
Matt is also hoping the award will give the business a boost after a difficult year.
"We opened a lot of stores during the lockdowns because people still wanted a sweet treat.
"But more recently, the cost of living has really hit us. December was probably one of our quietest months and we've had to adapt as best as we can to try and get through it", he said.
But, fortunately the business has pulled through and they're expecting a busy couple of months.
"The winning spot gets you quite a lot of perks with Just Eat.
"So I imagine our stores are going to be a little bit busy over the next few months where we are promoted quite highly on the app", Matt said.