How a lockdown cookie hobby turned into a booming baking business

Across the city deliveries of everything from beer to bath salts was packaged up by entrepreneurial folks and flogged to the masses.

And one business for those with a sweet tooth is now booming.

Kat Doonan, 25, launched Kookie Ko in February 2021 after friends and family encouraged her to turn the hobby she'd honed during the pandemic into a financial venture.

Now, Kookie Ko has 12,000 followers on social media and a bank of regular customers including some from further afield who make postal orders.

Among the bestsellers are Kat's millionaire shortbread bars. (Image: Kat Doonan)

Kat said: “When I started, I only really planned to offer local collections but now I shift hundreds of treats all over the UK each week.”

“My cookies are inspired by thick New York cookies – chunky and funky,” Kat said.

“I try to keep my flavours interesting and to do this I change the menu monthly.”

Kat’s current favourite is Dirty Dave which is chocolate dough with chunks of milk chocolate and fudge stuffed with dulce de leche and then rolled in powdered sugar.

Dirty Dave has also been a bestseller from the Kookie Ko shop recently it is chocolate dough with chunks of milk chocolate and fudge stuffed with dulce de leche and then rolled in powdered sugar. (Image: Kat Doonan)

But aside from cookies Kat’s bestsellers are millionaire's cookie slices and blondies - brownies made with vanilla.

Kookie Ko’s popularity has grown so much that Kat is now at capacity in her home kitchen in NR5.

She said: “One day I would love a little shop or café of my own but for now I am focussing on postal order.

“I’d love to move into a commercial kitchen in the next year.”

Kat Doonan, 25 from NR5 launched her business Kookie Ko in February 2021. (Image: Kat Doonan)

Kat also is working on a dessert collaboration with the Bun Exchange in Norwich and is also holding pop-up shops in the city during the autumn.

She added: “I put so much love and thought into not only the bakes themselves but also the packaging it makes the whole experience enjoyable.

“I try not to compare my cookies to things such as supermarket cookies but what I will say is that you have not tried a cookie until you have tried one of these – especially warmed up.

Prices start at £10.95 for a box of four. (Image: Kat Doonan)

“A gooey cookie is a total game changer.”

Prices start at £10.95 for a box of four cookies and can be ordered from kookiekonorwich.co.uk.