The founders of Hotel Chocolat, Angus Thirlwell and Peter Harris, have each walked away with £20 million after the company raised £55.5 million raised through flotation of the luxury chocolatier of London’s Alternative Investment Market.

The money raised will be used to fund further expansion of its store estate and website as well as expanding its factory in Cambridgeshire and investing in new equipment and technologies.

Mr Thirlwell, who will retain 66.6% of the company in conjunction with Mr Harris, commented: “Anyone who knows me knows that I am not really motivated by money. On the [scale] of more pleasant and less pleasant it’s more pleasant obviously but what excites me is building things and the fact that we have opened the door to chapter two of Hotel Chocolat.

“We’re going to continue as major shareholder for a long time.”