A 3,000-sq.-ft. shop sells not only Thorntons’ confections, but also a limited selection of drinks, sandwiches, cakes and ice cream.

It was not a gathering that Jonathan Hart, newly hired chief executive for Thorntons, recalls looking forward to. He had just joined the company in January 2011.

After about two months of selling candy in their Nottingham, United Kingdom store, The Treat Kitchen owners Martin and Jess Barnett are bringing their creations to the web to appeal to popular demand.