Author: Thomas Perry

Easter is one of the most chocolate-filled holidays! Want to unwrap some Easter chocolate facts? then read on! For more fun facts about chocolate, check out our social media channels: Facebook and Instagram.

1.The first chocolate eggs appeared in France and Germany in the 19th Century, but they were bitter and hard.

2. In Switzerland, Easter eggs are delivered by a cuckoo and in parts of Germany by a fox. In the UK we believe that a Bunny delivers the eggs, by the bunny laying, decorating and hiding the eggs this symbolises new life.

3. On average, each child in the UK receives 8.8 Easter eggs every year – our top tip for other ways to enjoy your Easter Eggs…

Melt them down and you can use the melted chocolate for baking chocolate buns, making a signature York’s Chocolate Story Chocolate lolly, or why don’t you have a go at making and decorating your own Easter egg with the melted chocolate?

4. Rowntrees’ produced their first Chocolate Easter Egg in 1904, however Fry’s produced the first Easter egg in 1873. Fry’s tried to add value to their eggs by adding a gift like a watch, a necklace or even cutlery; this didn’t quite take off.

5. When Rowntrees’ first started to produce Easter Eggs they created Easter catalogues that were gold plated and full of gigantic Easter eggs in expensive caskets. After the War when sweet rationing ended Rowntrees’ 1954 Easter catalogue only had two eggs in it.

Head over to Newsround to watch our Chocolatier, Mark, sample original Easter Eggs and what they may be like…
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/17597617

If you enjoyed unwrapping these Easter chocolate facts, then you would love our tour where you can see behind the scenes of chocolate production and hear all about York’s chocolate industry!

Fortunately, York is a thriving city for all the foodies out there, with a large variety of quaint coffee shops, delicious bakeries and unique restaurants. The city is an everyday bustling buffet – not forgetting York is the home of chocolate of course!

With Pancake Day on the horizon and a lot of food outlets to choose from, we are here to navigate you to the best places in York to get pancakes on Pancake Day.

1. York’s Chocolate Story – Chocolate and Pancakes go hand in hand (especially melted chocolate.) York’s Chocolate Story is offering limited edition chocolate pancake cones this Pancake Day. A Pancake that comes drizzled in rich melted chocolate, strawberries and meringue – an Instagram dream. Have the option to eat in or take away, they’re perfect for Pancake Day celebrators on their lunch break. Why not enjoy the deliciously tasty chocolate tour too!

2. Brew and Brownie – A favourite among York Residents, this indie haven is located along Museum Street and offers casual dining for breakfast and lunch. Their rustic interiors marry up with their rustic coffee and scrumptious food. They offer a classic American Pancake stack in lots of yummy flavours such as banana & salted caramel or Nutella.

3. Double Dutch Pancake House – A slice of Amsterdam located in the heart of York. The Double Dutch pancake House only sells pancakes (as you could have guessed.) Sweet or Savoury this Dutch inspired café offers a variety of unique flavours such as ham, sliced pineapple and Edam cheese or Greek yoghurt, drizzled with honey served with bananas – these are bound to intrigue the taste buds.

4. The Blue Barbakan – The new-comer underdog of York town has seriously climbed the ranks in the pancake department. This restaurant can be found on the bustling street of Fossgate and is home to an eastern style cuisine. Pancakes with crispy bacon and syrup – classic but fulfilling. A foodies dream and kids eat Breakfast for free!

5. The Botanist – Popular across social media The Botanist are bringing back their iconic pancake kebab stacks. Located on Stonegate, this trendy restaurant offers a botanical theme that includes cocktails being served in flowerpots. Get ready to Instagram as the pancake kebab stacks are served with brownie or Strawberries – only the best toppings of course!

We hope you enjoy some delicious pancakes in York this Pancake Day! If you visit us for a tasty pancake cone, don’t forget to take a picture and tag us on Instagram!

The day we all dread but secretly love comes around once a year, marked in our calendars as the day we must show our slightly more affectionate side – Valentine’s Day isn’t just a corporate holiday it actually goes back decades, fortunately for us chocolate and the day of love go hand in hand. But have you ever wondered how giving chocolate as a sign of love came about?

Chocolate and love dates all the way back to the Mayans

The first recorded link between chocolate and romance dates all the way back to the Aztecs. Emperor Montezuma was rumoured to eat cocoa beans to fuel his romances. It was said that cocoa was the food of the gods.

Chocolate is set to be an aphrodisiac food.

Chocolate releases serotonin and another feel-good hormone called dopamine. This gets released when eating chocolate, which gives the same feeling of when someone is in love.

Royalty gave chocolate as a present to show love

European royalty would give their loved ones chocolate with amber to romance them, which then trickled down to the regular public as they took away the amber and started to gift chocolate on its own.

Women who eat chocolate have desire.

Studies have shown women who eat chocolate are said to show more desire for romance, compared to women who don’t.

Traditionally Rowntree’s would create confectionery chocolate boxes which were seen as a luxury romantic gesture.

Rowntree’s was the first confectionery company to pioneer the early chocolate selection boxes, these were seen as a luxury gift which people would save up months and months for. In our exhibition you can see some of the early chocolate selection boxes that were made.

Unwrap more of the history of chocolate by following us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. You can also visit us to learn the secrets of chocolate production and York’s iconic brands.

We all have the one relative who is renowned for having a chocolate addiction, everything Birthday and Christmas you know you’re on to a winner when you’re supplying them with a chocolate related gift. Here at the home of chocolate we are giving you the go to guide of the perfect chocolate gift ideas.

1.Personalised Bar…
That’s right you can order a personalised bar that is hand made by our Chocolatiers. Come in store and speak to a member of staff or ring up the sales team and create your personalised bar from scratch. Choose the chocolate, the decoration and what you want piped in chocolate on the top.

2. Luxury fresh chocolates
Our luxury fresh chocolates are a perfect gift for a chocoholic. Choose from exotic flavours or the classics for a personal selection of someone’s favourite chocolates. Delicately made in house by our Chocolatiers you are able to choose from one or two chocolates in a bag to a 24 box.

3. Masterclass/ hire of a chocolatier –
For that Chocoholic that has it all give the most luxurious chocolate experience we offer. Hire a Chocolatier for a group and have your own personalised Masterclass, a one to one experience not to be forgotten.

4. Personalised KitKat Chocolatory
Personalise your own KitKat, come to Yorkshire’s only KitKat Chocolatory where you have the chance to create your own break. A perfect present for a KitKat lover, pick your chocolate flavour and choose three of your favourite toppings finish the gift with a personalised message on your packaging.

5. Family ticket for the tour.
Treat a chocolate loving family to our brilliant (if we do say so ourselves) tour. Indulge your sense as you taste, touch and smell chocolate as you make your own lolly, watch demonstrations by a Chocolatier and dip in to the rich heritage chocolate has in the city of York.

Remember to check out our social media channels, such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, for more chocolate gift ideas!

It’s definitely safe to say we all love Bonfire Night at York’s Chocolate Story. It’s a joyous time where we try and write our names with sparklers and get involved with the Bonfire Night festivities such as apple bobbing and building a Guy Fawkes. Our own city holds so much history for this festival and therefore we have a picked out 6 fun facts about Bonfire night for you to enjoy.

1) Bonfire Night is also known as Guy Fawkes Night, Guy Fawkes Day and Fireworks Night.

2) Bonfires are actually quite dark, in that they originated to represent burning Guy Fawkes at the stake.

3) Over 400 years ago, Guy Fawkes was part of a team of 13 Catholics brought together to carry out the Gunpowder Plot, intending to blow up King James I and his government whilst they were in the famous Houses of Parliament.

4) Fawkes was born in April 1570 and raised in York which, as you can imagine, ties the city to this festival. Fawkes attended St Peters school, which is just outside the city walls. There is also a hotel situated in York known as the Guy Fawkes Inn, where it is said that Fawkes was born. There are rumours to this very day that the hotel is still haunted by his Ghost.

5) 5th November was initially known as Gunpowder Treason Day and bonfires were lit as a celebration that the King hadn’t been killed.

6) The word for firework in Japanese is ‘hanabi’, which translates to ‘fire-flower’.

Now that we have filled you with some facts, we hope you enjoy your bonfire night plans!

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok!

Halloween at York’s Chocolate Story

“TRICK OR TREAT “– we will be shaking up our tour with a Halloween twist that involves baked bean and you either Love it or Hate it … marmite!
Our Chocolatiers have been crafting away and experimenting with unique chocolate flavours to rattle your taste buds.
This year you get to play along and receive a trick or treat of your own … at the end of your tour (if you dare) you will get the chance to spin the Trick or Treat wheel with our Chocolatiers – don’t blame us if the odds aren’t in your flavour.

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook to hear about our latest events!

Seeking something extra?

York’s Chocolate Story Trick or Treat Trek (Kids)

Join us on our family friendly Trick or Treat Trek where you will encounter Count Fectionery and Miss Terry. Walk the streets of York, but make sure not to stray too far from the path whilst Count Fectionery uncovers terrifying tales within the city walls. What mischief will you get up to with Miss Terry? Do you have what it takes? Play along and you will receive shock-olate and sweets on hand to indulge on. Make sure to look the part (the scarier the better) as there will be a prize in store for the best dressed.

• Find out more ->

It’s no secret now that we are the only place in Yorkshire that is host to Nestlé’s KitKat Chocolatory – it’s very exciting. It’s also exciting that York is home to the KitKat (we bet you didn’t know that?) That’s right, chocolate makers in York invented the KitKat over 80 years ago. York is the perfect place to host the new KitKat Chocolatory.

If you don’t know what KitKat Chocolatory is. Well… let us tell you. KitKat Chocolatory is a luxury experience where you get the chance to create your own eight finger KitKat. The eight-finger KitKat offers different flavour combinations of toppings that you can choose to add to your KitKat.

Moreover, this includes shortbread pieces, mini marshmallows, honeycomb and rose petals. You will also have the option to add a personalised message to your packaging as well as choosing what flavour the chocolate is e.g. dark, milk or ruby.

So all caught up?

In light of this newest addition to York, let’s share your KitKat Chocolatory Stories so far…

We can definitely confirm these guys had the best break of their lives!

KitKat Chocolatory isn’t just a create your own KitKat, why don’t you indulge yourself in our already crafted six – finger special edition bars that include Gin and Tonic, Spring time in Japan and Billionaires Treasure.

As we know them today the KitKat came from a very humble beginning…

In 1935, Rowntree’s Marketing Manager George Harris was inspired to create a new type of product chocolate. A factory worker left a note in the company suggestion box: why not make something to eat in a “pack up”. Harris set to work, making a simple treat that appealed to everybody, was snack-sized and easily affordable. Thus, the KitKat was born.

Since then, the KitKat has gone on to be a dominating force in the world of confectionery. Globally, a mind blowing 17.6 KitKat was certified by Guinness World Records as the world’s most global brand. In 2014, it was Time Magazine’s most influential confectionery bar of all time.

This experience was for a limited time only and ended in January 2020.

Click here to go back to the home page.

Just picture it… a hot summer’s day in the beautiful city of York, not a cloud in sight. A tourist bustling, bubble wrapped city within the heart of Yorkshire (we know it’s not common, but stay with us.) Almost its own little utopia within the historic walls, that stand preserving the culture and history.

What do you do on a hot summer’s day in York? You could drink by the river? Take a picnic to the museum gardens? Or you could visit York’s Chocolate Story? We can tell your racking your brains right now thinking – but why would we come to an indoor attraction on a hot summer’s day?

Well, how about you read on to find out why we’re perfect to visit all year round…

1. We bring the summer inside… We are a great break from the sun when it gets too much. With our tour lasting for an hour and a half we have a cool (air-conned we might add) tour that is summer inspired so it will only enhance your summer’s day.
2. We have scrumptious selections of ice creams in our café. When you have taken our fully air-conned, interactive tour – grab an ice cream to take away and enjoy your day.
3. Ever rolled your own truffle? It’s not unknown, in fact you can actually do this on our last tour of the day. Want to know something even better? You get to roll your own truffles with one of our expert chocolatiers! The perfect way to spend the end of your day.
4. Have you tried a Pina Colada chocolate before? Well you can now! Our chocolatiers have crafted handmade summer flavours (some boozy, some not) Have a summer extravaganza on the tip of your tongue with mouth-watering flavours a party in the chocolate.
5. Find out what we do after hours, something that’s time consuming, intimate and you can do with your friends… A Masterclass! (what were you thinking) Find out when our Masterclasses are taking place here -> www.yorkschocolatestory.com/events/summer-masterclass/

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