There’s something about an entire shop dedicated to chocolate that always feels sumptuous and decadent. The aroma as you walk in, the display cabinets full of tempting chocolates in varying shapes and flavors, and the try-me trays you just can’t resist all make a chocolate shop an experience rather than just a place to buy something. Discovering a chocolate shop for the first time is a true Aladdin’s Cave moment, and there’s something new and interesting in every chocolate shop you find. Some are large and bright and full of cosmopolitan luxury, while some are small and independent and quirky, but all of them are deliciously tempting.
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Here’s our pick of can’t-miss chocolate shops in the United Kingdom, in no particular order.
1. Domea Favour Chocolate, Plymouth
Independent chocolatier Domea Favour opened at Royal William Yard in October 2020. Echoing the Yard’s proud food-production past, it now has its very own chocolate factory, with handmade chocolates, freshly baked pastries, hot drinks, and unique edible gifts. The business is owned and operated by Nicholas Kittle, who worked in fine dining for 20 years before launching this venture. He has already been crowned Chocolatier of the Year in the South West England Prestige Awards! His confectionery creations — including a chocolate Smeaton’s Tower and cream tea truffles — often draw inspiration from the region.
2. Mr Thom’s, Tenbury Wells
Mr Thom’s is located in Tenbury Wells in the picturesque Teme Valley. A look at the display case inside the shop reveals towers of incredible handmade chocolates in so many varieties it’s impossible to choose. Mr Thom’s is famous for their hot chocolate bombs, so that is a good place to start. These delicious instant hot chocolates are an experience in and of themselves and are not to be missed. Pour hot milk onto the bombs, and creamy hot chocolate with marshmallows emerges. Mr Thom’s factory is at the back of the shop in their courtyard, where they offer chocolate-making workshops for anyone who’d like to try their hand at creating their own chocolate treats.
3. Chocolat Chocolat, Cambridge
Nestled on the outskirts of the historic city center is Chocolat Chocolat, voted Cambridge’s favorite chocolate shop. It’s located opposite Emmanuel College and just around the corner from Downing College in a 19th-century building. On most days, you can look through the shop window and see one of the chocolatiers making their famous sheet chocolate. If you take a few steps inside, the smell of chocolate will immediately take you back to the traditional chocolate shops of years gone by. Chocolat Chocolat’s handmade sheet chocolate is made with the finest Belgian chocolate in a unique style brought from France by chocolatier Isabelle Chappell. The wavy sheets of chocolate are sprinkled with quality ingredients from around the UK and Europe, including French sea salt, Turkish hazelnuts, Italian gianduja, freeze-dried fruits, and Chinese ginger. These create delicious flavor combinations of the familiar and the unusual.
4. Läderach, London
Luxury Swiss brand Läderach has recently opened a store on Regent Street in London, where it showcases its own exclusive products as well as an extensive range of truffles, pralines, slabs, and chocolate figures. These are available in mouthwatering, snackable pieces broken from the slab counter in front of you and placed in a sackli (a little bag); in boats; in luxury tins; or in heart-shaped boxes with Piedmontese hazelnuts. Customers can indulge in a wide range of flavors, from crunchy Florentine milk and pieces of cream caramel in Swiss milk chocolate to a fruity mix in white Swiss chocolate. Läderach, a family-owned premium Swiss chocolate company that now operates in 15 countries, has been around since 1962. As the largest chocolate retailer in Switzerland — with approximately 1,000 employees and 90 stores — Läderach is known for creating the freshest and highest-quality responsibly sourced artisanal chocolates in Switzerland, if not the world.
5. Chocolates And Truffles, Skipton
Located in the Yorkshire town of Skipton, this unique chocolate shop offers its customers a personal touch. At Chocolates and Truffles, all the chocolates are handmade on the premises, bringing you, the customer, into the midst of the production. You can request your own personalized chocolates, and the shop is especially popular at Easter, when personalized Easter eggs are handmade on-site. You can purchase a chocolate hamper, a traditional wicker basket filled with tasty treats, and free-from chocolate is available as well.
6. Melt Chocolates, London
Melt Chocolates handcrafts all of their luxury chocolates in boutique kitchens in the heart of Notting Hill. They sell a fantastic range of single-origin, vegan, milk, and dark chocolates. They also offer chocolate tastings and master classes, and those who pop in to their Clarendon Road location can enjoy a chocolate afternoon tea in a lovely garden. Melt has just launched a luxury chocolate box inspired by Alice in Wonderland. The quirky Eat Me box features 18 fresh chocolates, including delights such as smoked caramel, popping praline, and rhubarb and ginger. Going down the rabbit hole was never so delicious!
7. Maison Samadi, London
Knightsbridge’s iconic chocolatier has built on family tradition since 1872, with incredible skill passed on from one generation to the next. This tradition has made the Samadi name synonymous with outstanding quality and exquisite taste. This luxury chocolatier offers decadent chocolates — delicately made, individually wrapped, and prepared by skilled artisans — which make incredible treats or gifts. Try the praline truffles, chocolate-coated dates, or chocolate-drenched nougat. The brand’s hampers are a must-see, too!
Pro Tip: If you live in London but don’t have time to visit Maison Samadi’s West London boutique, why not have a delicious chocolate treat delivered to your door? Maison Samadi has partnered with Cosaporto, a digital marketplace offering concierge-style delivery of artisanal food, wine, and gifts across London. The Cosaporto team can pick up any of Maison Samadi’s products and deliver them to you within hours. You can add a handwritten card to any gift delivered by Cosaporto for an extra-special touch.
8. Chocolat, Kirkby Lonsdale
In the historic market town of Kirkby Lonsdale, Chocolat is a hidden gem. The shop appears small from the outside, but a quick trip downstairs reveals a world of chocolate and other treats that just seems to go on and on. I love a hidden back room that feels like only you have discovered it, and Chocolat gives you even more than that. The basement area is home to a chocolate mine! Put on your hard hat and brave the depths of the shop, and you’ll find a display featuring elves hard at work mining the chocolate. You can pick up an array of fine chocolates while you’re here, including vegan chocolate. The chocolate-covered coffee beans are especially good.
9. Kokoa, London
Known as the best independent chocolate shop in London, Kokoa is situated in Highgate Village. They boast that they sell the best bean-to-bar chocolate in the country. It’s quite a claim, but anyone who has been to Kokoa isn’t disputing it! For a shop that was set up in 2020, they’re doing incredibly well. Owners Luci and Rodi have carved out a corner for themselves in the world of chocolate that no one else seems to be able to get close to. The chocolate bonbons box is a must-buy. I love the fact that you’re never completely sure what will be in the box, since the chocolates vary due to availability. It’s a surprise box of chocolates that is always delicious. Forrest Gump would be proud!
