AN ARTISAN chocolate maker has ambitious plans to expand her fledgling business.
Kelsey Anderson set up her Kacao Chocolaterie business near Scotch Corner two years ago and rapidly established a reputation for luxury handmade chocolate gifts.
Miss Anderson had been working as an assistant manager in a Costa Coffee shop but decided to take the big step and launch her business in 2014.
Her chocolate is now available in a number of local independent retailers, including Brookes deli and farm shop in Darlington Road, Richmond.
Miss Anderson, who is a former pupil at Richmond School, explained to her local MP Rishi Sunak how she planned to find more outlets for her chocolate and was to revamp the packaging to incorporate a barcode required by larger retailers.
During his visit to the Kacao base at Sedbury Hall Stables, just off the A66, Mr Sunak heard about how Miss Anderson had grown the business and now employed a full-time chocolate maker, Annalee Coverdale, to help meet demand.
Where possible Miss Anderson said she used local suppliers for ingredients, like Acorn Dairy for milk and Katie’s Kitchen Preserves of Scorton. Her chocolate was Fairtrade sourced from Belgium or Venezuala.
Mr Sunak said: “I was very impressed with how Kelsey has established the business from scratch and to hear of her plans for the future.”
“Kacao is just another example of the many high quality food producers we have in this area.”
Mr Sunak also met Keith Morton, who manages the Brookes deli shop in Richmond. Mr Morton said his shop, which opened in July 2015, had consistently stocked Kacao chocolate.
He said: “It is one of our best-selling lines. It is a niche product but very popular nevertheless.”