34 | LUXlife Magazine Best Artisan Chocolatier & Cake Shop 2023 - South West England The Chocolate Bar Ltd is a family run chocolate and cake company located in the Forest of Dean. It sources local ingredients as much as possible, including its fair trade chocolate. All its chocolate delicacies are handmade from beginning to end, with slabs and shells that are all crafted by hand. The business sells directly to the public from its retail shop based within the Taurus Crafts visitor centre, and online. Husband and wife team Mark and Maren Foderingham Thompson run the little chocolate and cake company The Chocolate Bar Ltd, directly from the Severn Bakery site within Taurus Crafts. Its chocolates are crafted on site in the Chocolate Bar, whilst its cakes are baked in the bakery. Inspiration for the delicious goodies comes from the pair’s own mixed heritage, meaning that they can call on a combination of Danish, Barbadian, and British for their unique recipes. Mark and Maren create their own recipes for both chocolates and cakes, and also endeavour to use seasonal ingredients wherever possible. The way they go about making chocolate is to cut slabs by hand, using a ruler and a knife. Each individual chocolate the professional chocolatiers make goes through at least 3 different processes. Its cakes are also made in a conscientious fashion, using the pairs’ own unique recipes. They hand make to order, as well as for the on-site café and a further tourist destination and café within the forest. The Chocolate Bar carries a wide range of handmade products, which are constantly expanding as it aspires to create new sweet treats. All products are crafted by hand, and available to buy via the company’s retail shop, or made to order for delivery or pick up. One of the challenges The Chocolate Bar has faced recently has concerned navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. This made it difficult to sell cakes through the shop, but fortunately, as the business has recently moved premises, it has been granted a new and better way to reach the public with its cake offerings. Mark and Maren also continue to sell chocolates through their own website, where their edible treasures are becoming wonderfully well known. The funny thing is, this dedicated and talented pair only came to be chocolatiers and cake bakers by complete chance. Originally, they moved to the Forest of Dean with their two children to work in the Taurus Craft residential project, supporting adults with learning difficulties. As it turns out, the couple became more involved with the enterprise than they had ever imagined. When they were asked to make chocolate, they decided to go for it and really learn the ropes. They could never have imagined where it would lead them. The Chocolate Bar didn’t stop with just chocolate either, with cakes and other baked goods soon being supplied to the restaurant on-site at Taurus Crafts. The range has also expanded to incorporate the couple’s particular specialities such as authentic Danish Pastries, Caribbean Rum Cake, Meringue Cake and Doughnuts. Everything the pair makes begins life in the onsite kitchen that’s situated below the small shop they run. Looking to the future, The Chocolate Bar has set its sights on developing workshops that members of the public can join in with, regardless of personal ability. Thankfully, the increase in premises size has enabled the pair to operate differently, and for the better. For instance, whereas they only used to be able to book groups onto workshops, now it is possible to book individual time slots. With this in mind, Maren and Mark have begun to develop a range of workshops with a slightly different overall emphasis, and thus hope to be able to attract more people to get involved. As the recently named Best Artisan Chocolatier & Cake Shop 2023 - South West England, in the Food and Drink Awards, The Chocolate Bar is certainly going from strength to strength with fabulous chocolate knowledge it is more than willing to share through workshops and chocolate making activities. Contact Details Company: The Chocolate Bar Ltd Web Address: www.thechocolatebarltd.co.uk Contact Name: Mark & Maren Foderingham Thompson
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