A YOUNG entrepreneur from Bradford has seen success at the age of 19 as his dessert shop moves to bigger premises on one of Bradford’s busiest roads.

Haider Ali, 19, founder of dessert shop Delise, launched his home business in 2020 and opened his first takeaway at the age of 18 on White Abbey Road.

After finishing his A-levels, Haider decided that university wasn’t for him and chose to pursue a business venture.

He said: “I felt confident and ready to do this.

“I spent a lot of time making the desserts and perfecting them and people just kept coming so I knew it was doing well.

“People in the area knew me and my family, they were aware of our situation, and they were really supportive of my business.”

Haider’s mum passed away when he was 15 years old after she lost her battle to cancer, four years ago.

“It was a really difficult time, my older brother and I, who was 16, stepped up to look after our younger siblings when our dad went to work.

Opening his takeaway at a young age raised several eyebrows and few people took him seriously in the world of business.

“I’ve walked into so many meetings and people just refuse to take me seriously or they make comments about how someone so young can be seeing this kind of success.

“It’s sad that we don’t see many young entrepreneurs, especially in a city like Bradford, there’s so much space for a variety of business ventures.”

Haider is hoping to partner with Bradford College and other institutes to offer young people work experience and apprenticeships in his new store.

“Our new site is just opposite the college, and I would love to work with them to create some opportunities.

“During the early stages, I was learning a lot on the job, I was young, I didn’t know the best way to do things or where to get the ingredients, but it was a really positive experience.

“I want to give young people a chance to prove themselves and gain experience so they can open their own businesses.

“Business has been profitable for me and in our new premises, customers can eat in which will be good as I’m looking to expand the menu.

“Our customers mean a lot to me; they aren’t just people who buy from us but they’re supportive individuals who I know will stay loyal to our shop even though we’ve moved.”