For all that some have christened it the Chocolate City, York has been slow to celebrate its chocolate history, but in 2011 Sophie Jewett, a true chocolate enthusiast, opened the York Cocoa House in Blake Street and made it a place to learn, buy, eat and celebrate all things chocolate.
A self-taught chocolatier, Sophie gave up her day job to set up this great littler enterprise. A café, workshop, shop and much more. Sign up for dinners, chocolate tastings, workshops or masterclasses. Every day between 10am and 4pm there is an opportunity for you or your kids to make a chocolate lolly. You can book a group visit for a chocolate birthday party, a hen party or a corporate day.
If you want something more serious Sophie offers a 15 week course to learn tempering, ganache, chocolate decorating and much more. Join all 15 or pick out the sessions you fancy or you could do it all in a week on her Chocolate Apprenticeship.
If you just want to eat rather than make, there is a pleasant little café where everything on the menu – sweet or savoury – contains chocolate. The rarebit is made with chocolate stout, the hummous, with chilli and white chocolate and naturally there is every kind of hot chocolate and deliciously indulgent chocolate cakes – our favourite, the salted caramel chocolate torte
Take home some handmade truffles with flavours that range from vanilla, orange, chilli and even Yorkshire blue cheese, which is surprisingly good.
In King’s Square, York’s Chocolate Story is a more commercial attraction taking visitors through the history of chocolate, how it’s made and best of all, how it tastes.