Hello! Welcome to our York Cocoa Works Academy on Skool community - I’m Sophie, the founder, I’m so delighted that you are here to join us and share in our chocolate loving journey! I fell in love with chocolate at a young age, baking with it, making things with it but most importantly I loved sharing chocolate! When I first moved to York the whole city smelled of chocolate! The city had this amazing industry that went back centuries and it utterly fascinated me learning more about chocolate makers like Rowntree’s and Terry’s that had come from the city. Fascinated by chocolate I kept asking lots of questions, but became increasingly frustrated at how closed off the chocolate industry was and the lack of transparency in the sourcing of cocoa. So I went on a journey to first make chocolates in my own kitchen, then in 2009 I started my own chocolate business from home, selling at markets and hosting workshops. In 2011 we opened the York Cocoa House, a chocolate emporium and restaurant - with everything made with chocolate where we could host our guests. Then in 2018 we opened the York Cocoa Works - our bean to bar chocolate Manufactory with cocoa and chocolate learning centre. It’s been a fascinating journey that has taken me to chocolate factories and cocoa farms around the world on the search for fine cocoa and to learn more about cocoa and chocolate and the people that craft it. Over the years we've created our own range of products, as well as designed personalised gifts, innovative chocolate applications and award winning items, as well as hosting professional learners, industrial teams, 1 on 1 business coaching and consultation. I’m asked more and more to share our knowledge and so we’re delighted to welcome you to our Skool community - ask anything about creating chocolate, working with cocoa and developing recipes, products, businesses and education providers. Why are we sharing this for free? Because I believe that we need to be able to work together, to share what we love if we are going to be able to enjoy better chocolate. Sustainability shouldn’t be a luxury, fine cocoa should have a great impact and better chocolate should make the lives of cocoa farmers better too!