Stay in soft-centre setting a must for chocolate fans
ANYONE who is a fan of chocolate needs to know about a farmhouse in Llanboidy, Carmarthenshire.
That’s because it’s nestled in the grounds of a chocolate factory – and you can stay there.
The farmhouse is on the site of the NomNom chocolate factory and you can make your own chocolate.
And if you’ve heard of NomNom, you’ll know they don’t make ordinary, run-of-the-mill chocolate.
The unusual (and delicious) flavours include Welshcake, Espresso Martini and Pink Pepper.
You’ll also have access to their shop, café and grounds, and the chocolatiers want you to let them know what kind of stay you’d like so they can tailor an itinerary to suit.
As well as making chocolate, activities on offer include cooking, baking sourdough bread, foraging, making cocktails for a party or planning a day-trip to enjoy the local area.
They also mention workshops, private dining and breakfast martinis as some of the things you can do when you stay there.
Besides the obvious delights of staying within the grounds of a chocolate factory, the farmhouse itself offers some stand-out features.
The house has its own cinema room with big comfy chairs.
And they say throughout the rest of the house you should expect open fires, comfy sofas, fine linens, local produce and fresh flowers.
It’s perfect for big gatherings as it has eight bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a dining-room to host 20.
They say they have a “great big rolling garden” and there are plenty of long countryside walks nearby.
It costs £140 a night, and you can book it through Airbnb.
The reviewers have given it full marks so far, praising the farmhouse and the quirky features, such as chocolates and treats hidden around the house.
A reviewer called Hannah, who stayed in May, described it as “a wonderful, quirky chocolatey experience”.
She said: “The house is a lovely space, a lovely long banqueting hall, plenty of wood-burning stoves, a home cinema, a very well-equipped kitchen and a cosy lounge.
“We had a wonderful weekend on a friend’s hen do, lovely touches such as fresh whole milk, hidden pockets of chocolate and treats to find around the house!
“The chocolate workshop was great fun – Liam is a fount of knowledge when it comes to chocolate and the very quirky nostalgia of the previous owners adds to the experience.”
Masterminded from a cowshed in Llanboidy, NomNom has grown quickly since it was established by Liam Burgess in 2011 and amassed a following in Wales and across the world with its creative flavours.
Mr Burgess grew up next to the giant Cadbury factory at Bournville, then later, when the family moved to Wales, they lived opposite the Pemberton’s chocolate farm in Carmarthenshire.
He eventually took over the Pemberton’s site, abandoned following the closure of the popular tourist attraction.
“Chocolate has always been in my life. I made chocolates in the restaurants where I worked after leaving school,” he has said previously.
“Then when the Prince’s Trust gave me the £3,000 I started making chocolate in a caravan in my mum’s back garden.”
Liam drew inspiration from the time he spent working with a French chef in his restaurant days. “I got really inspired with all the people making stuff in random corners of Wales,” he said.
“I used different sources from around Wales, things like fresh rhubarb and lemon curd.”
He used the £3,000 to buy some essential equipment and ingredients, and when he had made a batch of chocolate he loaded it all in a van and drove around local independent shops to sell it.
“I didn’t come back till it was all sold,” he said.
NomNom ‘s expanding production soon outgrew the caravan and the company moved into a kitchen, then a converted cowshed, and finally into the former Pemberton’s factory, which is where the farmhouse is situated.