6-9 Apr: York, THE place for chocolate lovers

As well as all the many other reasons, 2012 really is a good year to visit York if you’re a chocolate lover. Not only is there a new visitor attraction devoted to York’s long involvement with chocolate and confectionary, but from 6 – 9 April this year York will be hosting its first Chocolate Festival.

This will celebrate and commemorate the fact that York and chocolate have been linked together for many years – as far back as 1781, when the City’s population was just 17,000 people, York had eight confectioners to satisfy the craving for that heavenly taste. Chocolate is still an important part of the social and economic fabric of York – indeed, the rich and comforting smell of cocoa and chocolate hangs in the air on those days when the beans are roasted.

Over the four days of the Festival some of York’s stars of the confectionary world such as Kit Kat, Aero, Smarties, Chocolate Orange and the almost eponymous Yorkie Bar will be fêted – and no doubt enjoyed!

There’ll also be a window on the area’s workers in chocolate – from the artisan craftspeople who make the chocolate, to the chocolatiers who skilfully use chocolate to make delicious confectionary, desserts, pastries and cakes.

The Festival will hold a chocolate market – displaying the finished products of the chocolate makers’ and the chocolatiers’ endeavours – with the opportunity to learn more about this most seductive of foods through workshops, tasting sessions, and presentations in local museums on the history and background of York’s relationship with the cacao bean, cocoa and chocolate, the industry that became such a major part of the City, and how new chocolate products are developed and branded.

All in all, it sounds totally yummy and not to be missed.

Did you know that Nestlé makes a million bars of Kit Kats every day in York?

The York Chocolate Festival will be held from Friday 6^th to Monday 9^th April.

If you’re coming to the Festival and require accommodation in York, please check out the York hotels and York B&Bs on Hello Yorkshire.