Welcome to York Cocoa House, thank you for joining us. I'm delighted to share our chocolate journey with you.  

 I have been in love with chocolate for as long as I can remember, making fudge and cakes as a child, perfecting the ideal hot chocolate recipe to share with friends and crafting gifts for family at Christmas.  

Moving to York over 20 years ago I could not be helped but be hit by the aroma of chocolate and caramel coming from the city's chocolate and confectionery factories filling the air. 

For a city once famed for brands like Terrys, Rowntrees and Cravens it was devastating to see so many of these companies being bought up by organisations who moved manufacturing or closed production while losing so much knowledge and precious skills. 

Together with my business partner Michelle we set on a journey to celebrate York and its Chocolate heritage, and make sure these memories were not lost by bringing chocolate making back to York. 

That was back in 2010, and so now, just over 10 years later we're delighted to share with you our chocolate, hand made in York, opposite the very site Henry Isaac Rowntree started his very own chocolate business in Castlegate over 170 years ago. 

Our Chocolate Making Aims

Starting from my own kitchen back in 2009 I set out to learn everything I could about chocolate, little knowing the journey it would take me on. We opened the original York Cocoa House in 2011 but quickly discovered that too much behind the product I loved was uncomfortable, hidden and not really doing the good it claimed to be doing. 

So - we decided to make it ourselves! In 2018 with the help and support of so many amazing customers, chocolate lovers and many from the community in York we opened York Cocoa Works, our chocolate manufactory where we can now work with some of the most amazing cocoas from around the world.

With our capacity and capabilities at York Cocoa Works we focus our energy creating chocolate that we want to enjoy:

Fine Chocolate

Crafting chocolate with real cocoa ingredients using traditional and innovative processes to make real, fine chocolate. 

Flavourful Chocolate

Mapping the flavour of cocoa origins from around the world we share the unique qualities that make each cocoa special.

Fair Chocolate

Working with farmers and traders directly we create shorter supply chains to establish direct trade transparency, increasing shared value along the production process.

Our Services

I'm still motivated by the same aims I was when we first embarked on this journey, but find now, more than ever a stronger need for us to make great chocolate that can do great things. I believe Chocolate can not really taste good if it does not do good. We still have much work to do, removing unnecessary plastics and packaging, reducing industrial emissions,  developing waste repurposing, challenging fat and sugar consumption, opening chocolate markets to cocoa growers, sharing skills and knowledge, creating more connected chains.  We're still asking the same questions, but delighted to have you on the journey helping us with it.  

Sharing Chocolate

Discover our online shop or visit us at York Cocoa Works

Make with Us

Let us craft your chocolate recipe, cocoa or gifts

Learn with us

Explore the world of cocoa and chocolate with us.