A?TOP quality chocolate manufacturer in?Okehampton that closed down in?March is well and truly back in business.

Browne's Chocolates was purchased for an undisclosed fee by the team who had previously turned Cornish-based Sharp' Brewery from a £2.5million to a £17.5million business.

Joe Keohane and Nick Baker sold the brewery, based in Rock, in January to Molson Coors in a £20-million deal. The pair took over day-to-day running of Browne's last month, following a three-month handover period at Sharp's.

Browne's closed its factory in March, causing the loss of 21 jobs. Before going into administration, the company was renowed for its top quality confectionaries, supplying truffles, after-dinner mints and a range of chocolate products to high-end retailers.

The new managing director of Browne's, Joe Keohane, said: 'We have started production. We wanted to get the factory cleaned and then we wanted to get production back on track.

'From the fourth of April we took on the staff, we've been producing throughout April, and steadily increasing volume.'

The company's plan of growth is steady, and hope is that support from retailers previously associated with Browne's will allow the company to re-hire as many of its previous staff members as possible.

Mr Keohone said: 'We've taken back nine employees of the original lot. Everyone's been very very positive. The atmosphere's been great.

'We're currently looking at bringing back some of the customers with the business before liquidation.

'So we're talking to Waitrose and we're talking to some other large customers. As that business brick comes in, we will be in contact with some of the previous employees.'

'I would say negotiations with these former customers is very, very good at the moment.

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