9 Suffolk chocolate companies with something perfect for Valentine's Day

Here are nine Suffolk chocolate companies you can rely on for something for your special someone.

1. Pump Street Chocolate

A mini bar of Madagascar Milk from Pump Street Chocolate (Image: Pump Street Chocolate)

Where: Order online at pumpstreetchocolate.com, or buy in person at 1 Pump Street, Orford, Suffolk, IP12 2LZ

After mastering bread, Pump Street Bakery in Orford has ventured into making chocolate from beans it imports from around the world.

Bosses at the company say that provenance and process are key to its finished bars and that it sources cocoa from growers who ferment and dry the beans near to where they are grown.

2. Marimba World Chocolate

A chocolate rabbit produced by Marimba World Chocolate (Image: Marimba World Chocolate)

Where: Order online at marimbaworld.com or pick up in person at 10 Borehamgate, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 2EG or 14 Buttermarket, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 1DB

A family-owned luxury chocolatier, Marimba make five types of hot chocolate using single-origin cocoa, as well as various confectionery including truffles, buttons and bunnies.

When it was forced to move online during the pandemic, customers missed being able to pick their own truffles selections, which led the company to come up with an online truffle selector.

Each season, it releases a new range of truffles and hot chocolate so customers always have something new to try.

3. Cocoa Mama

A 24 box of Eye based Cocoa Mama's decorated chocolate gems (Image: A 24 box of Cocoa Mama's decorated chocolate gems)

Where: Order online at cocoamama.co.uk or buy in person at Cocoa Mama Chocolaterie, 4 Broad Street, Eye, Suffolk, IP23 7AF

Cocoa Mama is an artisan chocolate shop in Eye headed by husband-and-wife team Helen and Guy Robinson.

The recipes include single estate chocolate, Suffolk honey, natural flavours and no artificial preservatives.

Cocoa Mama takes great care in sourcing its ingredients and works with companies that show they care about sustainability and the conditions and welfare of cocoa farmers.

For 2022, the team are working towards removing all plastic from packaging.

4. B Chocolates

B Chocolates homemade honey truffles (Image: B Chocolates)

Where: Order online at bchocolates.co.uk, or buy direct from The Old Woodshed, High House Farm Road, Woodbridge, IP12 2BL

Founded in 2013, B Chocolates is a tiny artisanal confectionery business based on the East Suffolk coast.

It is run by two chocolatiers, Anna and Abi, who make caramels and filled chocolates using raw honey sourced from local beekeepers.

The business has won nine Guild of Fine Food Great Taste Awards to date.

It regularly varies the chocolates to reflect seasonally available, local fresh fruits and flowers.

5. Harris and James

Harris & James large gift hamper (Image: Harris & James)

Where: Twyfords Cafe Beccles, Exchange Square, Beccles, NR34 9HL Suffolk/11 East Street, Southwold, IP18 6EH, Suffolk/159 High Street, Aldeburgh, IP15 5AN, Suffolk

Tracing its origins back to the foundation of Twyfords Cafe in Beccles in 1996, the team behind Harris and James began making chocolate after a trip to Paris inspired them to put their coffee roasting skills to use on another kind of bean.

Harris and James takes pride in carefully selecting cocoa from around the world and processing it well, having won 11 Great Taste Awards in 2019 and 2021.

While the focus is on bean-to-bar chocolate, Harris and James also offers gelato, churros, and doughnuts.

6. Tosier

Tosiers only make a limited number of bars from each harvest as availability of these beans is finite and each harvest unique (Image: Tosiers)

Where: Order online at https://tosier.co.uk/shop

Making chocolate from scratch at its factory in Great Blakenham, Tosier Chocolate is an independent family business creating chocolate from fully traceable single origin cocoa beans.

All Tosier's chocolate is hand made in 24kg batches at a dedicated chocolate factory.

Tosier's chocolate is vegan, as well as gluten, dairy and additive free.

7. Deepmills Chocolate

A selection of Deepmills chocolate bars, with flavours including gin and tonic, and earl grey tea (Image: Deepmils Chocolate)

Where: Buy online at www.deepmills.co.uk

Deepmills chocolate started as Deepmills Coffee, established in 2009.

At first, it started off by making chocolate-coated coffee beans but soon realised there was more demand for chocolate bars with multiple flavours.

Deepmills bosses aim to produce a high-quality product using luxury Belgian chocolate, with a personal twist.

All bars are handcrafted in small batches and then individually hand-wrapped.

8. Xocolat by Louis Beckett

Decorated Bonbons from Xocolat by Lewis Becket (Image: Xocolat by Lewis Becket)

Where: Order online at xocolatbylouisbeckett.co.uk

With 13 years of experience as a pastry chef and nine years experience in Michelin starred kitchens, Xocolat is a passion project by Louis Beckett.

Now Mr Beckett hopes to wow everyone who tries his chocolate with "a flavour sensation".

9. Les Chocolats Belges

Les Chocolats Belges is a chocolate shop based in the Woodbridge Thoroughfare (Image: Google Maps)

Where: 45 Thoroughfare, Woodbridge, IP12 1AH

A chocolate shop based in Woodbridge Thoroughfare, Les Chocolats Belges sells customised gifts or treats.

Its Belgian chocolate is sourced from renowned chocolatiers, including Chateau Blanc, Gudrun, Ickx, and Cavalier, and it claims that its "long-established methods and traditions" can be "tasted in every bite".