Delicious Cockington Court company expands in Torquay

 

Cockington Chocolate Company opened its doors last year

and hasn't looked back since.

 

Owned and run by Tony Fagan and Simon Storey, the

company, which is based in the Sea Change Craft Centre buildings at Cockington,

started by selling small amounts of chocolate in the Cockington Court Tea Rooms

which the couple also run, before they decided to split operations and open the

new unit.

 

Now, two staff are employed and a third – an assistant

Chocolatier – is about to be taken on.

 

The idea for the business came from a holiday in France

where Simon and Tony toured several hand-made chocolate operations. Having

completed an intensive specialist course with a top chocolate house, Tony -

formerly a chef - was able to fulfil a lifetime ambition to become an artisan

Chocolatier.

 

The business has since become so successful, reaching a

point in the summer when the order book had to be closed, that Tony and Simon

have decided to take the opportunity to open an additional workshop at

Cockington in the New Year.

 

Tony explained: "Our original intention was to stay small

but we have been overwhelmed with demand and extra space is needed. We will be

keeping the shop on but we reached a point this summer when we had to close the

order book as we couldn't cope with any more orders. We've been very successful

supplying shops and hotels."

 

Together with extra space to make chocolates, the new

unit will also be used for running classes and courses on chocolate making.

 

The current shop will be also be used for events such as

chocolate tasting sessions.

 

Tony added: "Cockington works very well for us. It's an

amazing place to come to work. People love seeing the chocolate being made.

Everything we sell is made by me."

 

Torbay Mayor, Gordon Oliver, said: "It's wonderful that

Cockington Chocolate is enjoying so much success at Cockington. Tony and Simon

have an extremely successful formula and obviously are working very hard to

achieve their goals. They are both great examples of how Torbay Council's

economic development company, the TDA, is helping businesses expand and grow at

the South West Innovation Centres, of which Cockington is a unique craft

focused venture."

 

Marissa Wakefield, Cockington Court Centre Director,

added: "I'm very pleased Cockington Chocolate has proved to be so successful

that Tony and Simon are taking on an additional unit. They are very inspirational

people and I can certainly vouch for Tony's chocolate being extremely tasty and

far too tempting! I'm sure their courses will be extremely successful with many

people wanting to learn how to make such delicious chocolate."

 

 

 

Torbay Development Agency (TDA) Chief Executive, Steve

Parrock said: "I wish the Cockington Chocolate Company every success in their

expansion at Cockington Court, which is testament to their talent and hard

work. This company is a great example to showcase Cockington Court Craft Centre

as an excellent business community, in which the artisan tenants and the

complementary businesses at the Court and surrounding village bring a unique

character to this popular visitor destination."

 

Cockington Court Craft Centre is run by Torbay

Development Agency as a visitor attraction and innovation centre to support

small creative businesses in the Bay.