With a history which goes back to 1927, Friars’ shops in Keswick and Ambleside are a reliable draw for those seeking gifts or a little self-indulgence. Today, however, high street retail accounts for only half of the overall business, with online custom booming during the pandemic and remaining buoyant ever since. Michael and Richard’s grandmother’s brother William Long began the Friars story when he originally opened the Keswick shop as a café which sold confectionery on the side. (Image: Sheenah Alcock)Friars first began selling products online in 2010 and then opened a second shop in Ambleside in 2015. Sales of Friars’ own vegan brand Kakoa constitute about 10 per cent of its sales, with about the same again coming from its own non-vegan chocolates.