The Chocolate Factory in the North York Moors

When a pair of North Yorkshire brothers read that Britons top the world for eating chocolate in 2002, an acorn (or rather, a cocoa bean) of an idea was sown. That idea rapidly grew into reality when they opened a chocolate-making business in the kitchen of their parents’ home, using a standard bain-marie as found in many a kitchen to melt the chocolate. Although it was very much home-based, the brothers, Gareth and Chris East, decided to call their company the Chocolate Factory. It is now a thriving family business in the North York Moors.

Stars & Bars

Creating a successful business depends on many factors – having the right idea at the right time, having a product that sells, being prepared to work very hard, having a vision, having the necessary marketing skills, and having the skill to recognise when an opportunity has arisen and seizing the day. It needs a star or two, and Gareth and Chris had just the right blend of skills to make their dream a reality; their hand-made Belgian chocolate products have not just filled a niche waiting to be filled, but added to the demand for the highest quality chocolates and chocolate bars. In fact, demand has been so great that they have moved on from their humble beginnings to owning two shops – one in Thornton Le Dale and one in Hutton Le Hole where they also have their factory.

The Finest Ingredients

Belgian chocolate is prized the world over and the Chocolate Factory imports around 8 tonnes of the finest each year, moulds it and adds the necessary ingredients for a range of delicious fresh chocolates and flavoured chocolate bars – in milk, white and dark. The Chocolate Factory also produces a range of hand-made chocolate figurines, and produces one-off designs for occasions such as when Royal Ascot was held at York Racecourse.

All the highly acclaimed chocolate products from the Chocolate Factory are gluten free and suitable for vegetarians. Only fresh ingredients are used, and there are no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives – it’s no wonder they taste so scrummy.

The Chocolate Factory believe that just because you’re diabetic doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enjoy a treat from time to time, and their range of diabetic chocolates (made with Sorbitol and no sugar) is highly tempting – milk, plain or white chocolate praline, strawberry truffle or coffee cream – both in dark chocolate, white chocolate vanilla cream, and Amaretto or Cointreau liqueur truffles. Mmm!

Visiting the Chocolate Factory

Visitors are welcome to see for themselves how the Chocolate Factory’s delicious products are made at the Hutton Le Hole factory, but please bear in mind that production schedules vary so chocolates won’t necessarily be in the process of being made when you visit.

You can find out about opening times and much more if you visit Gareth and Chris’s website: the Chocolate Factory.

And if you’re after accommodation in the North York Moors including North York Moors holiday cottages and North York Moors bed and breakfasts, take a look at the properties on Hello Yorkshire.

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