Willie Harcourt-Cooze facts for kids
Willie Harcourt-Cooze, born on April 29, 1964, is a famous British chocolate maker. He became well-known in 2008 because of a TV show called Willie's Wonky Chocolate Factory on Channel 4. This show was all about his journey to grow, bring in, and make his very own chocolate.
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Willie's Early Life
Willie was born in London. His father was from Burma and his mother was from Ireland. He has two older sisters, two younger sisters, and a younger brother. When Willie was four, his father bought Horse Island in Ireland. There, his father started farming and living a simple life, growing their own food.
Willie went to school in Waterford, Ireland. When he was eleven, he moved back to England for a year. He then returned to Ireland and attended school in Cork. After finishing school, he moved back to England. He was thinking about becoming a property developer, like his father.
Around that time, he had an accident and was injured. Soon after, his father passed away. Willie then decided to travel the world. He visited places like Australia, Peru, and the Far East.
The Chocolate Journey
Willie married Tania Coleridge. For their honeymoon, they went trekking on horseback in Venezuela. In 1993, while there, Willie learned about a large cocoa farm called Hacienda El Tesoro. It was located in a special kind of forest called a cloud forest in Henri Pittier National Park.
Willie and Tania decided to sell their flat in London and move to Venezuela to buy this farm. They planted over 50,000 cacao trees. These were a special type of cacao called Criollo. They also started an eco-tourism project there, which means they welcomed visitors who wanted to learn about nature and the farm.
In 1998, Willie started making 100% cacao bars for people living near the farm. He even used moulds made from a clay pipe!
In 2007, Willie and Tania returned to the UK.
Making Chocolate in the UK
After moving to Devon, England, Willie spent several years getting the right equipment. He started growing cocoa again and began making chocolate in Uffculme, Devon, in 2007. This process was filmed by Channel 4 for his TV show.
In 2008, the TV show was so popular that it got a second series. This follow-up show, called Willie's Chocolate Revolution: Raising the Bar, aired in 2009. It showed Willie trying to introduce a dark chocolate bar with a lot of cacao to the British market.
Willie believes in a "Bean-to-Bar" approach. This means he grows and finds his own cacao beans to make his chocolate. He wants to control the whole process from start to finish.
In December 2020, Willie appeared on a podcast called Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster. He talked about his cooking methods, including how he cooks lamb, which was shown on his Christmas TV special.
Willie's Family Life
Willie Harcourt-Cooze has three children. He lives in Tiverton, Devon.
TV Shows
Willie has appeared in several TV shows:
- 2008: Willie's Wonky Chocolate Factory
- 2008: Willie's Perfect Chocolate Christmas
- 2009: Willie's Chocolate Revolution: Raising the Bar
- 2011: Studio One (as a guest)
- 2015: The Living Room (as a guest)
