Hotel Chocolat facts for kids
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Formerly
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Hotel Chocolat Group Limited (2013–2016) Hotel Chocolat Group PLC (2016–2024) |
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| Subsidiary | |
| Traded as | LSE: HOTC |
| Industry | Chocolatier |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Founder |
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| Headquarters | Royston, Hertfordshire |
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Number of locations
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164 (2025) |
| Products |
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| Revenue | £204.5 million (2023) |
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Number of employees
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2,300+ |
| Parent | Mars Inc. (2024–present) |
Hotel Chocolat Group Limited is a British company that makes and sells chocolate. They also grow their own cocoa beans. The company sells its chocolate and other cocoa products online and in its many shops, cafés, and restaurants.
By 2023, Hotel Chocolat had 125 stores across the United Kingdom. It is special because it is the only company in the UK that owns its own cocoa farm. In January 2024, a large American candy company called Mars Inc. bought Hotel Chocolat.
Contents
The Story of Hotel Chocolat
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Hotel Chocolat began in 1990. Two friends, Angus Thirlwell and Peter Harris, first started a company selling mints. About six years later, they began making chocolates. They called their chocolate business "Geneva Chocolates."
Their chocolates became very popular. This success helped them grow their business. They started selling chocolates through mail order under the name "Chocolate Express."
The Chocolate Tasting Club
In 1998, Hotel Chocolat launched the Chocolate Tasting Club in Britain. This club sends boxes of new chocolates to customers every month. By 2014, about 100,000 people were members of this club. The club has tried out over 1,500 different chocolate recipes.
Opening Stores and Growing
In 2003, "Chocolate Express" changed its name to "Hotel Chocolat." They opened their very first shop in Watford. The company then grew quickly. Between 2005 and 2006, they opened four more stores. These were in Milton Keynes, Cambridge, and St Albans.
Owning a Cocoa Farm
In 2006, Hotel Chocolat bought the Rabot Estate in Saint Lucia. This made them the only company in the UK to own its own cocoa farm. Because they own their farm, they can control how their cocoa is grown. This is why they do not use the "Fair Trade" label. Fair Trade rules usually apply to small farms, not large company-owned ones.
Expanding with Hotels and Restaurants
In 2011, Hotel Chocolat opened its Boucan Hotel in Saint Lucia. The hotel is located on the Rabot Estate. It sits high up between the Piton mountains. The hotel has six lodges and a restaurant called Boucan Restaurant. The restaurant serves cocoa-inspired dishes.
In November 2013, the company opened two restaurants in the UK. One was Rabot 1745 in London's Borough Market. The other was Roast + Conch in Leeds. In August 2017, they opened their first stores in the Republic of Ireland. These were in Dundrum, Dublin.
Hotel Chocolat on TV
In January 2019, the British TV channel Channel 5 aired a documentary series. It was called "Inside Hotel Chocolat." Later, in 2022, Channel 4 also showed two documentaries about the company. These were "Hotel Chocolat at Easter" and "Hotel Chocolat: Inside the Chocolate Factory."
In March 2025, a new four-part series started on Channel 4. It is called "Hotel Chocolat: Unwrapped." The first two episodes were released in March and April 2025. The final episodes are expected later in 2025.
Joining Mars Inc.
In November 2023, Hotel Chocolat agreed to be bought by the American company Mars, Inc. This deal was worth £534 million. Both companies hoped this would help Hotel Chocolat become known around the world. The sale was completed on January 25, 2024.
How Hotel Chocolat is Run
Hotel Chocolat is led by its co-founder, Angus Thirlwell. He is the CEO, which means Chief Executive Officer. Peter Harris, the other co-founder, retired after the company was sold to Mars.
Before the sale, Angus Thirlwell and Peter Harris owned a large part of the company. Since January 25, 2024, the American company Mars Inc. has been the new owner of Hotel Chocolat.
Where You Can Find Hotel Chocolat Stores
As of January 2023, Hotel Chocolat had 125 shops in the United Kingdom. They also had 33 stores in Japan as of May 2022.
The company has tried to open stores in the US twice. Their first attempt included five stores in New York, which closed in 2022. They continued selling online and through other stores. In 2025, they opened two new stores in Chicago.
In November 2024, the company announced it would close its two stores in Dublin. This means they plan to leave the Republic of Ireland by the end of 2024.
What Hotel Chocolat Sells
Hotel Chocolat makes many different chocolate treats. These include regular chocolate bars, blocks of chocolate, and loose chocolates. They also have special seasonal and gift products.
Besides chocolate, they sell drinks like hot chocolates and even some alcoholic beverages. In 2022, they started a chocolate subscription service.
The Velvetiser
In 2018, Hotel Chocolat launched a special machine called the Velvetiser. This machine is designed to make hot chocolate at home. It heats and mixes milk with chocolate shavings. This creates a smooth, frothy hot chocolate, just like you might get in a coffee shop.
The Rabot Estate
Hotel Chocolat owns and runs a 140-acre estate in the southwest of St Lucia. It is near a town called Soufrière. The Rabot Estate has a luxury hotel and a cocoa plantation. The plantation is divided into 16 different areas. The cocoa trees on the Rabot Estate are mostly a type called Trinitario.
See also
