An ice cream parlour which has proved a tasty success in Huddersfield is to expand again.

Icestone Gelato, which already has popular stores in Huddersfield and Bradford, expects to create up to 20 jobs when it opens in the former Barclays Bank in Commercial Street, Batley, by the end of the year.

The store is one of several that the family-run company is opening across the north and Midlands over the next three to four months.

A new 170-seater restaurant – the firm’s eighth outlet – opens in Liverpool city centre this week. Another is due to open shortly in St John’s Shopping Centre in Leeds and others are planned for locations including Chester, Leicester and Nottingham.

Paul Morris, of Icestone Gelato, said the company was working with a franchising expert to grow the chain, adding: “By the end of 2018, we hope to have 20 stores.”

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Barclays closed its Batley branch in June this year in response to more customers banking online, by phone and on mobile devices.

Said Mr Morris: “We have taken possession of the old Barclays Bank building. It’s all signed and sealed.

“We have been looking at the Dewsbury and Batley area for some while.

“The shop in Huddersfield and the delivery unit there are doing fantastically well.

“Both the Huddersfield and Bradford stores get a lot of people from the Dewsbury and Batley area. We want to link it all up so we have Dewsbury and Batley covered and can also offer our customers home deliveries.

“We will start the store with about 12 staff and increase it to about 20 over time.”

The former Barclays Bank building on Commercial St, Batley.

Mr Morris said customers could expect a look similar to the parlour at John William Street in Huddersfield, adding: “We wanted to get on with it right away, but our shopfitters are already working on three stores. Work should be starting soon with the aim of opening around Christmas and New Year.”

Icestone Gelato has made a name for itself with its range of gateaux, ices, frozen yoghurt, sundaes, crepes and Belgian hot waffles.

“We are very big on quality, ambience and customer service,” said Mr Morris. “Those are the three keys to our success and we feel we are getting it right.”

And he added: “We are very strong in the M62 corridor and we are very proud of the fact that we are a West Yorkshire-based company. Now we want to hit London and hit it hard to become the most dominant dessert restaurant chain in the country.”