Who doesn't love chocolate brownies? They're such a diverse treat which you can customise to your personal tastes. Whether you're making them gluten-free or adding in your favourite chocolate bar, there's a brownie out there for you! In today's Meet The Business Post, I am interviewing the lovely Donna from Harvest View Brownies. Harvest View Brownies is a new, delicious home-baked brownie business based in East Hampshire with UK-wide delivery!

Hi there, I'm Donna. I am the proud owner of Harvest View Brownies! What do I do? Well, I have combined my love of chocolate and baking. I made it into my dream job by baking my homemade brownies and then delivering them to people. ​My ethos is that I will only use the finest ingredients to create a delicious brownie. In my brownies, you'll find free-range eggs, Belgian chocolate, fair-trade cocoa and quality milled flour. My little kitchen is located in Catherington, a village in East Hampshire. I hold a current Level 2 Food Safety & Hygiene for Catering Certificate and I am registered as a Food Business with East Hampshire District Council. You can guarantee your brownies are made in the best environment possible with the best ingredients!

Why did you decide to start a brownie business?

I have been baking for many years, and can actually only successfully bake brownies, shortbread and banana cake! I knew I wanted to work for myself, and this just seemed the perfect fit for me to go at it alone. The pandemic enabled me to go after my dreams. So after quite a bit of research, I took it online early this year. It was an exciting and scary leap, but I am glad I did it!

What makes your brownies more special than others out there?

There are many good brownie bakers out there, but for me, it's not just about the perfect brownie, it's about the whole service from start to finish. My brownies are chunky, rustic, fudgy and mouth-watering. I also use the finest ingredients, making my brownies even tastier! To make the experience even better, I offer a complimentary delivery service (within 3 miles), or you can come and collect from me. For those a little further, I offer shipping so you can get my brownies all over the UK! If you order on a Friday, I won't bake until Sunday. They'll be sent on a Monday as I don't want your package to be sat in a mail centre all weekend. It's all about care, compassion and the service!

What is your favourite flavour out of all the range?

I'm actually very boring when it comes to eating them, I only like the original chocolate or salted caramel!

Are there any fun flavours you have coming up?

I like to experiment with different flavours, and so being added to the menu will be Terry's chocolate orange, Bakewell blondies and Slutty brownies! (look it up and see how amazing it is). I like to switch up my flavours, so each week there's something different. If you want to order some brownies, I currently offer the following flavours:

• Original brownie
• Gluten-free brownie
• Triple chocolate brownie
• Salted caramel brownie
• Biscoff brownie
• Mint Aero brownie
• Peanut butter brownie
• Brownie celebration slab
• Vegan chocolate brownie

What is your favourite part about working for yourself/from home?

Home is my favourite place to be, so to be able to work from home is a luxury that I feel very privileged to have.

What challenges have you faced when setting up your business?

The impact of Covid-19 has slightly hampered my thoughts of sending brownies out in the post. I feel that the postal service is stretched at the moment, which can have an effect on how long it takes to receive letters and parcels. I wanted my brownies to be as fresh as possible, so I had to delay when I started sending postal orders. This limited my sales as I could only delivery or get collection orders. I am happy that the situation has changed now as I can send my tasty treats all over the UK!

Is there anything you’re working toward or wanting to achieve?

I hope and pray that I get the continued support of customers, old and new. I hope I can continue to grow my business. Now that I can accept postal orders, sales have picked up more. I hope that continues to grow!

I'd love to be able to attend Farmer's markets and pop-ups. Markets are slowly opening back up, and I am going to be trading at a local market soon! On the 6th of September, I'll be selling at the Hampshire Farmers Market. If you'd like to come along, I'd love your support! You'll find me between 10am and 2pm!

If you could sum Harvest View Brownies in 5 words, what would they be?

How to sum up Harvest View Brownies: "gooey, chocolatey, scrumptious baked brownies"