The couple have received more than 20,000 orders after going viral on TikTok
Jay and Leanne launched AxelsBaked from their kitchen in Dartford
One of TikTok’s most viral cookie companies was born right here in Kent. In fact, they make all of their stuffed cookies in their home kitchen in Dartford.
Jay Emmerich and Leanne Tee started AxelsBaked at the end of 2022. The company, which was named after the couple’s son Axel, was started as Leanne came to the end of her maternity leave. They decided they both wanted to spend more time with their son, and so the company was born.
Jay explained: “Axel was the reason we started, so naming the business after him felt natural.” After stocking their cookies in their local Premier shops in Dartford, the cookie company joined TikTok and began posting their sweet treats nationwide.
Earlier this year, AxelsBaked celebrated reaching 20,000 orders – a milestone which happened without Jay and Leanne even realising. Jay said: “Growth on TikTok can happen incredibly quickly, and when you’re busy baking, packing and getting orders out, you don’t always stop to look at the total.”
Now, their TikTok page has over 11,000 followers, with one video showing off their cookies being watched more than one million times. Jay added: “Taking a step back and realising we’d reached 20,000 orders was a huge moment, especially knowing it had all come from our little kitchen in Dartford.”
The couple pride themselves on their stuffed NYC cookies, all packed with fillings, with more than 30 different flavours to choose from. They say their biggest-selling flavours change all the time, although popular options include Birthday Cake, Cinnabun and Cornflake Crunch.
The company prides itself on making every cookie to order, meaning each cookie is only made once an order has been placed. This ensures customers never receive cookies which have been sitting around or gone stale.
For now, the couple are continuing to sell online, but they are even hoping to open their very own shop. Jay said: “We’d love to open a shop on a local high street, somewhere people could come in, meet us and choose their bakes in person.
“We also recently had a near sell-out at Dartford’s final night market of the summer, which was our first time trading at that market. Seeing so many people turn up and support us locally meant a lot, and made us even more excited about what we could build here.”
The taste test – how will the cookies stack up?
I couldn’t write about these cookies and not try them for myself! So, in the name of journalism, I managed to get my hands on a few different flavours.
On the packaging, it is recommended you microwave each cookie for 15-20 seconds to reach their full potential of deliciousness. I have to say, they achieved exactly that.
Although all of the flavours I tried were great, one really stood out to me: Galaxy. I love Galaxy chocolate, but the Galaxy cookies you buy in a supermarket really feel subpar – too often, the chocolate inside of them feels more like a cheaper version than the real deal.
However, these Galaxy cookies were incredible. Soft with a crispy exterior, gooey and stuffed full of real Galaxy chocolate.
Other favourites included red velvet and mini eggs but, to be honest, I don’t think you could go wrong with these cookies. It’s even better knowing you are supporting a small local business too.
