The school of chocolate
A SCHOOL of Chocolate has opened its doors in Newcastle and is out to tempt customers with its world of sweet treats and chocolate-making workshops.
La Chocolatrice is a first business for 27-year-old Zoe Rutter who has created a fairytale-like world of decadence and indulgence inside premises on Westgate Road.
Passers-by can’t have failed to notice her magical window setting, with an Alice in Wonderland-type rabbit, and a big clock behind, while plans for her shop’s official launch this week are pure Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Zoe has had golden tickets printed to hand out as invitations to La Chocolatrice’s grand opening this Friday and Saturday when customers will discover more gold touches within, as well as florals and a sparkling chandelier, among her display of hand-made chocolate bars and truffles.
Graphic artist friend Nathan Barclay has created retro-style poster art and murals for the walls, while the focal point in the shop is a giant granite table for Zoe’s chocolate-making workshops. The cold granite is perfect for the process, and here various size groups – ranging from two to 10 – will be shown how to create chocolate crisps, flakes and truffles, which they will then professionally package up to take home. La Chocolatrice is, Zoe believes, the first chocolate school in the area and it will see her make use of skills she developed while living in Paris where there is, she said, a chocolaterie on every corner.
Before that, Zoe, who is from Sedgefield in County Durham, started out doing chocolate-making classes and, having taken patisserie courses and worked for a company in Leeds, she took the opportunity to learn more in Paris, having first spent time in France as part of her university course.
Having moved back here, she was teaching French up until June when she decided to change career and pursue the love of chocolate she’s had as a child.
“It developed when I was about three or four and my grandpa used to buy me a bar of chocolate every day,” she said. I’ve always loved chocolate and cake.”
Having come up with the name Chocolatrice in discussions with a friend, Zoe then set about creating it.
What was previously a vintage clothes shop in Westgate Road and, more recently, a space used by an acting troupe which contained only a washing machine, has been gutted to create a kitchen – thanks to work by Zoe’s uncle – and tasting and demonstration area, with a shop where customers can pop in to buy the likes of chocolate pearls and strawberry and cream chocolate buttons. Zoe also
stocks a favourite chocolate she’s found by another local maker which adds to her range with the likes of milk chocolate with gold and hazelnuts.
She’s already been surprised by the number of customers she’s had through the door over the past few days in the run-up to the official launch, and first workshops have been snapped up, including one session by a hen party.
The workshops seem ideal for hen parties and festive treats – and vouchers are available – while Zoe can also tailor sessions towards children aged nine upwards. Her window display has been inspiring people just to pop in for a chat too, often – it turns out – about the film Chocolat.
Just about everybody, it seems, loves chocolate.
The response has encouraged Zoe to think about firming up her plans for a future chocolate-lovers’ club, while she also will be introducing increasing variety into products, including a vegan range and hot chocolate drinks.
The shop’s grand opening in Newcastle will take place from 11am to 8pm on November 29 and 30.
Its usual opening hours are Wednesday to Sunday and a number of daily workshop sessions will be available to book.