Teesside twins Darren and Lee Walker are taking a taste of America to their hometown.
They are opening The Thick Shake Company in Middlesbrough’s Dundas Indoor Market to provide shoppers with “real milkshakes”.
“When I went to America they tasted nothing like the ones here – where they are really milky. What we have a passion for are the thick ice cream shakes. We just wanted to bring them to the Boro,” said Lee.
Their flavours include a decadent chocolate shake called Augustus Gloop, Bubblegum Blitz and Terrifically Tart Cheesecake.
The brothers started their first shop – Shake it Up Whitby – last year and, while that will only trade in the summer, they plan to keep The Thick Shake Company open all year round.
“Being indoors is a major thing. The Dundas attracts people of all ages and we plan to sell shakes to appeal to different tastes,” said Lee.
Working together is not a new experience for the twins. Before their venture into the world of shakes they had an archery business and they still run a children’s activity party company.
“We’re very close and we found out from an early age that it’s much better to work together,” said Lee. “We’ve actually got a lot of friends who are twins and some of them don’t even talk to each other.”
David Harris, the Dundas Indoor Market manager, said The Thick Shake Company was a welcome addition to the diverse range of shops who trade there: “Darren and Lee have done a great deal of research and they bring a lot of enthusiasm to whatever they do. They’ve also demonstrated that they have an eye for business. I’m sure they are going to do really well here.”
There is an attractive range of incentives for local traders interested in moving to the indoor marker.
