Award winning chocolatier backs local artisans

Academy of Chocolate award winning Co Couture Chocolate in Northern Ireland is expanding business.

The company, headed by chocolatier Deirdre McCanny, a trained and experienced chef, is adding a deli, Underground Artisan, featuring products from other local artisans at its successful shop in Belfast city centre.

Underground Artisan has also launched a three-strong range of scones as part of the business expansion and is adding butter, charcuterie, cheese, culinary oils and tea and juices to the shop's existing and popular handmade luxury chocolates, cocoa and fudge. There's also a small café in the shop.

The enterprising company's focus at Underground Artisan is on healthy products. The new scones, for example, are made with spelt flour and quark and are low in gluten and lower in calories than traditional scones.

In addition to plain, the scones are pizza and chocolate swirl flavours. The pizza scone is made with cheese and chorizo from Ispini Charcuterie at Aughnacloy in county Tyrone. There's also a raspberry and white chocolate flavour.

Co Couture also provides chocolate powder for hot chocolate to coffee shops in Belfast. The small batch chocolatier, in addition, runs chocolate-making courses.

Co Couture has been producing premium chocolates for 10 years and is now Northern Ireland's best known and most successful chocolatier. The company's shop, also the base for its chocolate production in Belfast, is becoming a popular destination location for food tours and visitors from overseas.

The company has won over 20 prestigious national and international awards, including the Great Taste Awards Northern Ireland Speciality Producer Champion 2008, runner-up for Best Independent Retailer in the UK (top 4 in NI) at the Observer Food Awards 2013, and 10 medals at the Academy of Chocolate awards from 2009-2015.

It also won a silver medal at the International Chocolate Awards, which has put Co Couture within the top 40 chocolatiers in the world. It is currently ranked top 4 in the UK and number 1 in Ireland.