Gorgeous Cheesecakes:
From Kitchen Table to Big Brand Names

In 2014 Blackpool based cheesecake company, Gorgeous Cheesecakes, landed two customers most food start-ups only dream of - Selfridges and Barton Grange Garden Centre. 

Founded by Matthew Watts and his wife Sharon, Gorgeous Cheesecakes began in 2010 as a passion project, creating handcrafted cheesecakes made with care, quality ingredients and a lot of late nights. After securing two major retailers in 2014 the business was required to scale quickly, leading to the acquisition of their first dedicated production facility.

Matthew, Managing Director and co-founder, has always led the business through steady, sustainable growth. Being proudly family run, he has welcomed daughters Matilda and Yasmin into the team over time. Together, alongside long-serving production staff, they strengthened the operational structure of the company, overseeing food safety compliance, order processing, and customer relationships, while Matthew continued to lead production and strategic direction.

Success and new challenges

Gorgeous Cheesecakes was a well-established business with all the ingredients for success: a strong reputation, high-profile clients, and a production site with a dedicated team to match demand. However, in early 2025 the pressures of rising ingredient costs, increasing wages and tighter margins were proving difficult for the business. 

“It felt like we had come to a standstill,” explains Brand Ambassador Matilda. “There were a lot of uncertainties within the business, and we were unsure what path to take next. I knew that we needed an outside opinion, someone to be able to help us see things more clearly.” 

After having seen the positive impact the Blackpool Growth Business Academy had on other local businesses, Matilda decided to get in touch and was introduced to business growth specialist Adam Botterill.

From experience to strategy

Adam took time to truly understand the business, visiting the site, meeting the team, and getting to grips with how Gorgeous Cheesecakes really worked day to day.

Helping the team take a step back and look at the bigger picture, together they created a clear strategic action plan, focusing on customer segmentation and retention. Adam also helped to compare their B2B and B2C performance, allowing them to prioritise decisions which would deliver the greatest impact.

“Once Adam had helped us to set out a clear strategy, things felt a lot more manageable,” says Matilda. “It helped us stop trying to do everything all at once and to start making more confident and informed decisions.” 

Building awareness and momentum

An early priority was improving the company’s cash flow. With Adam’s encouragement, the business committed to trading at the Manchester Christmas Markets, a strategic move that helped to increase their brand awareness, while also delivering a timely financial boost.

That renewed confidence carried through into wider decision-making, helping the team approach opportunities with purpose.

Gorgeous new ideas

With a clearer strategy in place, Gorgeous Cheesecakes has since started to develop a new frozen cheesecake range, opening the door to new markets and greater flexibility. Adam helped them to introduce the new range sustainably, from phased storage solutions to logistics planning, to ensure that growth doesn’t come at the expense of stability.

“The support from the Academy has really helped to change my mindset,” Matilda reflects. “I’m much more confident now, I know we’ve got options, and I know that the Academy are always there to support us.” 

Still learning, still growing

Continuing from the Academy’s support, Gorgeous Cheesecakes has a renewed focus to strengthen existing customer relationships, build awareness, and carefully expand their product offerings. 

“Coming from a small town and having access to such a valuable free resource is incredible,” says Matilda. “Working with the Academy has been transformational; it has given us greater clarity and confidence in our decision-making. Even after 12 years in business, there is always more to learn, and the Academy’s guidance has had a genuinely meaningful impact. I would recommend all Blackpool based businesses to take advantage of their expert guidance.”

Gorgeous Cheesecakes’ journey shows that expert guidance from the Academy’s growth specialists, can help businesses at all stages to sharpen their strategy, build confidence and unlock their next phase of growth. If you’re a Blackpool business looking for strategic business growth support, contact the Blackpool Growth Business Academy team today.