Getting Crafty With Cocoa
…and you can get a bit messy as well!
CHOCOLATE heaven is real, and it can be found in the village of Twynholm. With thousands of different chocolate products and more than 120 flavours, this is the Cocoabean Company, a family-run business that started in the kitchen of Claire Beck.
Chocolates are, of course, the main attraction but the Cocoabean Experience is just as popular and an excuse for children – and adults – to get nice and messy!
“We offer chocolate workshops to suit all ages,” says the company’s Emma Turley. “The children’s standard chocolate workshop and the additional support version of it are available all day, every day with no need to book.
“We do recommend that bigger groups, or anyone looking for an adults-only session, check availability before they come.”
After a demonstration, visitors use their imagination to create all sorts of chocolate treats to take home.
“Our standard workshop is a 30-45 minute interactive experience where the children make and decorate three chocolatey items – a chocolate shape, a personalised chocolate slab decorated with sweets and a marshmallows and chocolate creation of their own devising.
“Although our adult sessions can get a bit messy, there is definitely more mess made in a children’s workshop! Especially at our toddler’s messy play session Beanie Tots which is aimed at children aged four and under.
“This is a session where a parent or guardian can come in to the workshop to help with the chocolate making fun. There is one chocolate item plus an element of messy play but we have a different theme each week so most of our Beanie Tots are regulars!”
It’s not all play and no work, however. The staff have visited a Columbian cocoa farm and impart their knowledge through educational and outreach visits. They are keen to explain the – delicious – chocolate process from the raw cocoa pod in Columbia all the way to the final chocolate bar.