The idea to make chocolate began when the ground was covered with snow and gardening work had dried up for the season. Something was needed to fill those long winter evenings.
In 2010 left my job as a solicitor to start a slightly less pressured career which allowed me to combine my creativity and love of all things foodie. Initially I helped my husband Luke to run his garden design and maintenance business and he helped with my cooking and baking business when daylight hours were short. As well as the local farm shop, I started to take my homemade cakes to a local Country Market to sell- it was there that I was first introduced to the craft of chocolate making. I soon discovered I was a much better chocolatier than baker!
We then had a little boy, Elliot, and my chocolate making hobby turned in to an official business- Henley Chocolates Ltd (2012)- enabling me to stay closer to home. Elliot, now almost a teen(!), loves helping with the business and earning a little extra pocket money. He takes his role as Chief Taster very seriously!
In 2010 left my job as a solicitor to start a slightly less pressured career which allowed me to combine my creativity and love of all things foodie. Initially I helped my husband Luke to run his garden design and maintenance business and he helped with my cooking and baking business when daylight hours were short. As well as the local farm shop, I started to take my homemade cakes to a local Country Market to sell- it was there that I was first introduced to the craft of chocolate making. I soon discovered I was a much better chocolatier than baker!
We then had a little boy, Elliot, and my chocolate making hobby turned in to an official business- Henley Chocolates Ltd (2012)- enabling me to stay closer to home. Elliot, now almost a teen(!), loves helping with the business and earning a little extra pocket money. He takes his role as Chief Taster very seriously!
It was a rather sticky but very tasty learning process. We became a familiar sight offering bags of mis-shapes to the neighbours (still are in fact although the frequency has reduced as accuracy has improved!). I learnt the basic techniques from a chocolatier-friend and have never stopped learning since. We have a chocolate library (which should never be read while hungry) and go on courses to learn new techniques and share ideas with other professionals - something I love to do.
Over the years Henley Chocolates has grown. I had no idea when I started out that my little 'pin money' hobby could ever become the exciting, dynamic business that Henley Chocolates is today, never mind a (very) full time job for me and employment for our team of ‘chocolate fairies’.
Henley Chocolates’ first employee was a cleaner (for obvious reasons to anyone who's ever met me) who was shortly joined by Abi, who came to roll truffles for a couple of hours on a Sunday evening. Today the team at Henley Chocolates has around thirteen fairies; we employ a variety of different people, each and every one of whom I’m incredibly privileged to work with. You can find out more about the chocolate fairies here.
In the beginning I made and packaged the chocolates in my home kitchen. This soon moved to an annex, and then in 2015 Henley Chocolates moved to its current location- a converted milk parlour at at Yew Tree Farm Shopping Village, Wootton Wawen.
Over the years Henley Chocolates has grown. I had no idea when I started out that my little 'pin money' hobby could ever become the exciting, dynamic business that Henley Chocolates is today, never mind a (very) full time job for me and employment for our team of ‘chocolate fairies’.
Henley Chocolates’ first employee was a cleaner (for obvious reasons to anyone who's ever met me) who was shortly joined by Abi, who came to roll truffles for a couple of hours on a Sunday evening. Today the team at Henley Chocolates has around thirteen fairies; we employ a variety of different people, each and every one of whom I’m incredibly privileged to work with. You can find out more about the chocolate fairies here.
In the beginning I made and packaged the chocolates in my home kitchen. This soon moved to an annex, and then in 2015 Henley Chocolates moved to its current location- a converted milk parlour at at Yew Tree Farm Shopping Village, Wootton Wawen.
If you are lucky enough to visit the shop then you'll be able to see us at work in the kitchen through our viewing screen. We love having a chat with customers and explaining how their chocolate is made; they in turn are always fascinated by the sights, smells and sounds! The 'chocolate taps' (a flow of perfectly tempered chocolate produced by a continuous tempering machine), in particular, are a sight to behold.
There have been many milestones along the way, and more to follow, but these are some of the major ones:
2015
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
There have been many milestones along the way, and more to follow, but these are some of the major ones:
2015
- We moved into our current retail unit at Yew Tree Farm Shopping Village in September 2015.
2017
- Our Amaretto truffles win a Great Taste award.
2018
- Our Passion Fruit truffles win a Great Taste award.
- Our sister business- The Chocolate Shed - is formed. The Chocolate Shed host making parties and workshops.
- Henley Chocolates launches its first Crowdfunding campaign 'Chocolate can bring change'
- Henley Chocolates starts its journey to eliminate single-use plastic in its packaging.
2019
- Henley Chocolates buys its first continuous chocolate tempering machine (named Beauty !) and we have a launch party to celebrate!
2020
- We commission Natureflex bags (plastic free) to be made specially to fit our 40 g chocolate bars.
- We support our community during the COVID pandemic by offering free local delivery while the shop is closed due to government lockdown.
2021
- We are able to offer fully plastic-free chocolate Advent calendars for the first time!
2022
- We are able to offer fully plastic-free Easter eggs in boxes for the first time!