Europe – The Adventures of Elle Coco

York Cocoa Works – Sophie’s Quest to Revive York’s Chocolate Industry

York, a city in the north of England is a bucket list stop for many people, but has a special place in my heart due to my strong family connection here. Every time I come home I would make the trip to York to visit two people: my nan, and Sophie Jewett. Not necessarily in…

You will never do anything in this world without chocolate.

Ok, so the saying from the famous Greek philosopher Aristotle actually goes “You will never do anything in this world without courage”, but chocolate certainly helps give you the courage in trying situations. You’re probably wondering why, or how I’ve somehow managed to link Greek philosophy, courage and chocolate together?! I was lucky enough to…

IN MEMORY: A City Within a City

Nearly three years on, as I hear of the untimely passing of Stace Bancroft – one of the most inspiring and insightful individuals I have had the pleasure meeting – I have updated this blog post by way of reflection of the great man he was. Stace, we miss you. RIP 16.02.2018. Gone but never…

Shens P’irs Shakari – Sugar to Your Mouth

It’s October 2017 and there is a subtle chill in the air, after a brief pit-stop in Ukraine we finally make it to Georgia, a country nestled up in the Caucasus mountains, just north of Armenia. He is a tall fellow, and he greets us, leaning on his cane. He is not old, but something…

Roll Up, Roll Up, Salon du Chocolat

It’s October, so it’s a little cold, and a spontaneous last-minute decision saw me book a day trip to Paris. Catching the train at 5:30am from London St Pancras International resulted in a wake up call of 3am – not pretty! Despite the train being quiet, I was WAY too excited to sleep as I…

A Northern Ireland Chocolate Quest

When you’re asked by the Academy of Chocolate to attend and speak at the Finnebrougue Fine Food Fair in Killyleagh Castle, Northern Ireland, courtesy of Food NI 2016 – the obvious answer to this request is ‘yes’. The trip was all planned out by Food NI, and after an exhilaratingly turbulent 55 minute flight from Gatwick,…

Island Hopping the Venetian Lagoon

Well, Taverna el Remer had certainly left its mark on me, in the form of one hell of a hangover! I mean, as I mentioned previously, the blues band was amazing and the drinks (extra strong and expertly crafted) went down all too quickly, to the point where I recall little of the night before…

Chocolate on the streets of Venice

August Bank Holiday weekend saw the boy whisk me off to Venice for a belated birthday surprise! Arriving close to midnight, we stayed in the San Sebastiano Garden Hotel; a little out of the centre, but easy walking distance to the action. Like most trips, I like to research the destination as much as I can, and…

The (Northern) Heart of English Chocolate

York! A medieval walled city in Northern England with a vibrant history dating as far back as Roman times and beyond. Defined by it’s medieval cathedral or ‘Minster’ – built in the 13th Century, and extensive Roman wall (since rebuilt in various places), it is also famous for playing its part in the chocolate and…

Golden Circle Surprise

Still feeling so relaxed we were falling off our proverbial chairs, we layered up to the max and made our way to 101 Laugavegur to catch our ride. It was our last day and we were heading out to see some of the most famous sights and sounds of south western Iceland, courtesy of Extreme Iceland…

Category: Europe