Looking Back: A Year of Growth, Connection, and Chocolate
This year has been transformative for us in ways I couldn't have imagined when we opened the doors to our new shop on Avenue B twelve months ago.
A Space That Became Home
Our chocolate makery has become a gathering space, a classroom, a storytelling venue, and above all, a home for this craft we love so deeply.
Throughout the year, this makery has welcomed thousands of visitors. Some came to buy chocolate, others to learn about bean-to-bar processes, and many simply to connect over a shared curiosity about where their food comes from. Each conversation, each workshop, each "aha" moment when someone tastes the difference between craft chocolate and mass-produced bars has reminded me why this work matters.
Travelling to Origin: The Heart of Everything
In June, I travelled to Malaysia for the International Cocoa Fair, and the experience reinforced everything I believe about the importance of direct relationships with farmers.
Walking through cacao farms in Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, I was struck by the incredible biodiversity of the region. Cacao trees growing alongside mangoes, pineapples, and rice fields, all thriving together in the rainy season's abundance. The farmers there nurture entire ecosystems, understanding intuitively what many of us are only beginning to learn about sustainable agriculture.
Every conversation with growers reminded me that great chocolate starts in the soil, in the careful attention a farmer gives to their trees, in the traditional knowledge passed down through generations about fermentation and drying techniques.
Teaching What We Love
One of the joys of this year has been our chocolate workshops. We've welcomed families and chocolate enthusiasts into the makery to experience bean-to-bar chocolate-making firsthand.
There's something special about watching someone crack open a cocoa bean for the first time, or seeing a child's eyes light up when they learn about the journey from bean to bar. Teaching helps people see the world differently, connects them to the origins of their food, and shows them there's an alternative to the mass-produced, commodity approach that dominates supermarket shelves.
Innovation Rooted in Craft
This year, we introduced two products we’re particularly proud of: the 100% Date Bar and the White Pistachio Bar.
The 100% Date Bar represents something we’ve been perfecting for months: a way to stay pure whilst offering a natural hint of sweetness for those who find 100% chocolate a little intense.
Using cacao from Mindanao Island in the Philippines and pure dates, we've created something that's quickly become a consistent sellout. Two ingredients, zero refined sugar, and flavours of deep caramel and molasses that speak to the quality of the beans.
The White Pistachio Bar brought 2025's pistachio popularity to a whole new audience. We added roasted pistachios to our beloved cashew-based white chocolate, and the response has been incredible. Smoothness meets crunch in the most delicious way.
Awards That Validate the Journey
Winning our second consecutive 2★ Great Taste Award for the Solomon Islands 75% chocolate felt like a profound validation. This chocolate forms the foundation of all our truffle boxes, and knowing that judges recognised its exceptional quality reinforces everything we believe about sourcing great beans and treating them with care.
But beyond the accolades, what these awards represent is the culmination of relationships: with Anges in the Solomon Islands, with the judges who understand craft chocolate, and with you, our customers, who support this approach to chocolate-making.
Gratitude and Looking Forward
This Christmas was our busiest yet. We're deeply grateful to everyone who chose to share our chocolate with the people they love.
Knowing that our advent calendars became part of daily December rituals, that our truffle boxes were given as meaningful gifts, and that our bars travelled across the country to celebration tables—it's humbling and joyful in equal measure.
As we step into 2026, we're filled with excitement. New origins to explore, more workshops to teach, deeper relationships to build with farmers, and of course, more chocolate to craft right here in Nottingham.
Thank you for being part of this journey. There's no us without the farmers who grow our cacao, and there's no us without you.
Here's to another year of great beans making great chocolate.
Luisa