Coco Chocolatier – Edinburgh Based Artisan Chocolatier

Edinburgh is brimming with independent retailers who are proud to show off their artisan, handmade and often-bespoke produce! This month, we’re very excited to share one shop in particular with you, Coco Chocolatier. Coco Chocolatier craft their portfolio of premium chocolate bars in Edinburgh, using the world’s finest South American couverture, before enveloping them in original designs by independent artists. Coco Chocolatier has two boutique shops in Edinburgh, and their interiors are comparable to an art gallery, with each bar of chocolate showcased as a piece of art. They also have an online shop for those of you who may live outside of Edinburgh.

The best way to tell you more about this fabulous business is to let Ania the Creative Manager from Coco Chocolatier take over.

Coco Chocolatier has two stores in Edinburgh, one at 174 Bruntsfield Place and the other at 20 Raeburn Place, but you can also shop online.

1. What was the inspiration behind Coco Chocolatier and how did it all get started?

Our adventure with chocolate started in Edinburgh in 2004. That’s when Coco Chocolate was born. Our shop in Bruntsfield would attract wonderful customers willing to try hand-made, delicious chocolates that were so different from what you could get in shops at that time. The idea of bringing art into the mix came a bit later. We were all inspired by the beauty of Scandinavian design and wanted to become a platform for young creatives to work together with our team of chocolatiers on products that would not only taste great but would also look unique & inspiring.

Artisan Roast Espresso: Working with Edinburgh-based roaster we choose the best seasonal coffee beans and create beautiful flavour.

2. What does a typical working day look like for you?

My typical working day at Coco is filled with digital creativity: I work for the company as a creative manager & photographer so I get to place beautiful chocolates on colourful backgrounds and take photos. Sometimes you have to have a bite of something to feel in tune with the spirit of the flavour! I also run chocolate making hen parties & tastings which is the most magnificent part of my job. I get to make chocolates with true enthusiasts and talk about the food of the gods (That is chocolate!)

3. Coco is known for its decorative packaging. Is there a story behind the chocolate’s beautiful patterned paper?

We love smart seamless patterns, pastel geometry & abstract clouds of colour. Calum who is Coco’s managing director would spend hours collaborating with illustrators and designers on each individual wrapper. We are very excited at the moment to work with Kangan Arora – an extremely talented designer who developed our new designs for four types of boxes. They are smart, simple and feel gloriously playful at the same time. We are delighted to have them all in stock before Christmas so people get a chance to enjoy them. We also have a limited edition box with a custom made artwork. Look out for a pink collage on our shelves.

4. What are your 3 top sellers at the moment?

Our best sellers at the moment are: 1. Gin & Tonic dark chocolate bar – alcohol free sublime chocolate infused with juniper, lime & lemon oil 2. Haggis Spice dark chocolate bar – a brilliant conversation starter and a joy bringer. We made it vegan and absolutely delicious so you can really enjoy the idea of superbly Scottish chocolate bar 3. A selection of 12 chocolate bars in a beautiful box that makes it look like an intricate library. A delicious treasure for everyone that loves chocolate & likes to share it!

Haggis Spice: Vegan and deliciously spicy bar hand-made in the heart of Scotland using a Single Origin Chocolate from Colombia.

5. What does 2018 have in store for Coco Chocolatier?

We are really looking forward to 2018 as we have lots of ideas for new products. We have been experimenting with new flavours and our hope is to introduce 12 of them at the beginning of the year.  Fingers crossed our wonderful customers are going to like them! For a while now we have been dreaming of a small chocolate bar range that would follow the company’s ethos and be as beautiful as it would be delicious. Hopefully, we will be able to add them to our range in 2018. Last but not least we are working on more limited edition art packaging that would act as a canvas for talented designers and illustrators. Watch this space!

6. We’re all about Edinburgh, so we’d love to know what your perfect Edinburgh day would entail?

My perfect day in Edinburgh would be filled with walking across town and visiting independent shops & boutiques, slowly making my way towards the Botanical Gardens. I would probably walk down Broughton Street to visit Curiouser & Curiouser and pick up a gorgeous plant from Narcissus. Then I would meet a friend for a home-made cake at Casa Angelina and walk a dog down to Stockbridge – a pedigree dog mecca. Here I would step into Coco for a cup of Lavender hot chocolate and continue on my way to the Botanical Gardens. Maybe I would be lucky and the winter lights would be on! Evening with friends and a scrumptious dinner would round the day up nicely.  At home, I would love to snuggle with my husband on a couch to watch The Blue Planet II. Winter evenings for me are all about being cozy under a blanket. Possibly with a cup of hot chocolate.

Hazelnut & Isle of Skye Sea Salt Dark Chocolate

Win a 12 Bar Chocolate Box (worth £39.95)!

The competition runs from noon on Monday the 4th of December until midnight on Sunday the 10th of December 2017. The giveaway is open to everybody over 18 in the UK. We will pick the winner within 24 hours after the competition has ended and contact the lucky person through the social media platform they have used to enter the giveaway. This promotion is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

COMPETITION CLOSED

To be in with a chance to win a 12 Bar Chocolate Box by Coco Chocolatier choose from the options below:

1. Like Coco Chocolatier & Dickins Facebook pages and share the competition post on Dickins Facebook page.

2. Follow Coco Chocolatier & Dickins on Twitter and retweet one of the competition tweets on the Dickins Twitter account.

3. Follow Coco Chocolatier & Dickins on Instagram and tag a friend on the competition post on the Dickins Instagram account.

Make sure you follow us on social media so you don’t miss out on our monthly giveaways!

GOOD LUCK!!