Wickedly Welsh Chocolate facts for kids
Wickedly Welsh Chocolate is a special chocolate factory in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales. They make all their delicious chocolate right there! You can find their tasty treats in about 25 shops nearby, including fun places like Oakwood Theme Park.
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The Story of Wickedly Welsh Chocolate
The Wickedly Welsh Chocolate factory opened in April 2014. It was started by Mark Owen. Mark has type 1 diabetes, a condition where the body doesn't make enough insulin. Because of this, the company makes many chocolates that are suitable for people with diabetes.
Special Chocolates and How They Started
Wickedly Welsh makes many different kinds of chocolates. One special type is high in flavanols. Flavanols are natural compounds found in cocoa that can be good for you.
Mark's wife, Karen Owen, knew a lot about making chocolate. She used to work at a place called Pemberton's Chocolate Farm nearby. Because of her experience, she knew exactly what machines they needed to buy for their new factory.
Mark and Karen first tried to buy Pemberton's Chocolate Farm, but it didn't work out. So, they decided to create their own chocolate factory instead!
Visiting the Factory and Community Fun
In the first eight months, about 20,000 people visited the factory. However, the factory now makes so much chocolate that the old visitor centre and café are closed.
Wickedly Welsh Chocolate sends out a regular email newsletter. Around 15,000 people get this newsletter. It often includes cool ideas for recipes using chocolate.
The local Member of Parliament (MP), Stephen Crabb, has praised the factory. He said it was "a fantastic addition to Pembrokeshire's tourism offer." This means he thought it was a great new place for visitors in the area.
Fun Campaigns and Competitions
The company often has special promotions for holidays. These include Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and Halloween.
They even had a "Golden Ticket" campaign, just like in the Willy Wonka stories! Winners received tickets to visit the factory and also to Oakwood Theme Park.
For Easter in 2015, Wickedly Welsh worked with Wales Online. They offered a special VIP tour of the factory as a prize in a competition.
