Academy of Chocolate boost for Northern Irish chocolatiers

Artisan chocolatiers in Northern Ireland are setting up a 'collective' to exchange expertise and knowledge to help them to develop their products and markets especially in Great Britain. The move is being encouraged by the Academy of Chocolate and Food NI, the body which assists the development of smaller and artisan businesses in Northern Ireland.

Food NI recently facilitated a visit to Northern Ireland by three top Academy of Chocolate members for meetings and workshops with local chocolatiers. The three members involved in the initiative were Elle Coco, Matthieu de Gottal and David Greenwood Haigh.

The meetings followed their attendance at the recent Hans Sloane Chocolate Festival in Killyleagh, county Down, where Sloane, who is credited with the discovery of cacao, was born in 1660.

Northern Ireland has a developing cluster of artisan chocolatiers, a number of whom has won national recognition such as UK Great Taste Awards. CoCouture, the Belfast-based chocolatier, has also won Academy of Chocolate Awards for her handmade truffles. Other specialists in truffles are La Coquine Handmade of Comber, county Down and Norr and Brown.

The cluster also includes Chocolate Manor of Coleraine, county Derry, a producer of handmade printed chocolates which has secured business outside Northern Ireland.
NearyNogs, based in Newry, county Down, is also the first in Ireland to develop a unique bean to bar product.

Wee Choco, based near Ballygowan in county Down, is a social enterprise offering people with learning difficulties the opportunity to develop skills making a range of chocolate bars for retailers in Northern Ireland. Another specialist in chocolate bars and bespoke shapes is Cobden and Brown, which is based near Moira in county Armagh. Belfast-based Holden's Chocolates produces a range of chocolates.

The Academy of Chocolate experts and many of the Northern Ireland artisan chocolatiers also took part in a gourmet chocolate workshop hosted by culinary staff and students at the Southern Regional College in Bangor, county Down.

Gerri Martin, the founder of Chocolate Manor, commenting on the initiative, says: "It was great to have an opportunity to discuss chocolate production with the group from the Academy of Chocolate and exchange ideas.

"I know I learned a great deal from the session and drew encouragement from their suggestion that we should develop a relationship with the academy and also to set up our own collective here.

"We all appreciate hugely Food NI's support in setting up the visit and the knowledge exchange. It's another example of the fantastic support that Food NI provides for smaller food and drink producers here."

Food NI's Sharon Machala adds: "Northern Ireland's artisan chocolate cluster is a developing part of the food scene, and they can benefit from sharing information particularly in crucially important areas such as nutrition information, allergens, packaging and marketing.

"We believe they can achieve a great deal more by working together collectively. They would all benefit, for example, from building contacts with the Academy of Chocolate and taking part in events in Britain. Together they can also press for greater support from funding bodies in Northern Ireland to develop their small businesses. We are immensely grateful from the interest being shown by the Academy of Chocolate," she adds.