Simon Coyle: Kscholat

Simon Coyle
Age: 30
Company: Kshocolat

He’s not a chocoholic, but Coyle has tasted success by realising the UK chocolate gift market was rich for modernisation. With two shops in Scotland and a range of premium products finding their way on to shelves of 250 stockists including Waitrose and Liberty, Coyle is looking to bring quality to a market dominated by quantity. Also exporting products to Europe, Japan, Australia and the US, turnover will quadruple to £2m this year. Coyle predicts additional exports and placings, boosted by the company’s first marketing campaigns, will see that figure rise to £6m in 2006.

2017 update:

Unfortunately, Kscholat was hit by cashflow problems as a result of the recession. It went into administration in 2010 with the loss of all 25 employees. Administrators RSM Tenon were called in to run the business. Coyle has been a director at Glasgow-based Hopscotch Brands since May 2015 – a confectionary company selling the CHOC+ and BLOC Candy brands.