For anyone who is interested in writing an article on The CoCo House, I have added some information below. If you would like anything extra please do ask.

Contact: Madeleine Cardozo

email: madeleine@thecocohoue.co.uk

Mere, Wiltshire. BA126LH

Message: 07826 924786

Images: Please ask for any images that you would like to use, whether lifestyle or a product shot, either in a group or on their own.

Some Present Customers:

Farm Shops such as: Teals, The Udder Farm Shop, Chettle Village Stores, Trading Post, Tytherleigh Farm Shop, Washingpool......

Delis such as :Duchy of Cornwall, Chelsea Road Deli (Bath), Symmondsbury Deli....

Garden Centres: Blue Diamond Group (x56 shops!!!!) Scotsdales Garden Centre....

And others such as the Algerian Coffee Store in Soho and a few hamper companies.

Article 1

The CoCo House Story

(326 words)

In 2019, while travelling to the Dominican Republic, I discovered the most delicious spiced hot chocolate I had ever tasted. I immediately thought it would make a wonderful product to import and sell in the UK.

In early 2024, I returned to the Dominican Republic to find the factory that produced it. Unfortunately, I discovered they only made small quantities and were not prepared to export. However, the trip turned out to be incredibly inspiring. I visited cocoa farms and chocolate factories and began learning about the fascinating world of cocoa and chocolate.

Back in England, I decided to create my own Caribbean-inspired spiced hot chocolate. During the process, I was shocked by the amount of sugar many brands add to their products. I wanted to create something different – luxury hot chocolate that is slightly under-sweet, giving customers the option to add more sugar if they wish.

The CoCo House now offers six artisan blends: 100% Cocoa, Caribbean Spice with cinnamon, cloves and ginger, Seriously Indulgent, Deliciously Dark, Golden Turmeric, and our newest flavour, Coconut White. Each blend is handmade and packed in small batches using compostable kraft bags that reflect the vintage style I love.

Our packaging is also inspired by history and stories. One of our first designs features Marie Antoinette in modern leggings performing a yoga pose, highlighting the many health benefits of cocoa.

Our organic Fairtrade cocoa comes from a cooperative in Peru and is carefully sourced well in advance due to growing global demand. What began as a passion project after my youngest son went to university has grown into an artisan business, with me often driving through country lanes delivering hot chocolate to farm shops and delis.

Looking back at my first homemade labels and early recipes makes me smile. Thanks to feedback from friends and family, The CoCo House continues to improve in both taste and presentation.

Article 2

The CoCo House: Selling to the Trade

When I first looked into selling to farm shops and delis, I enquired about hiring a salesman to visit local businesses on my behalf. The cost was around £3,000 per day to visit approximately six to eight top farm shops. I quickly worked out that I could do that myself for little more than the cost of petrol and my time.

What I soon discovered, however, was that it wasn't quite so simple. The buyers at larger farm shops were often busy or not on site, while the smaller shops would sometimes take just a few products to trial. I even left stock on a sale-or-return basis on occasion – a big no-no, as I never seemed to find the time to follow up properly.

Selling to the trade is hard work. I could only realistically visit shops within an hour or two of home before my "we are local" sales pitch began to lose its impact. Today, I have some fantastic local customers, but building those relationships took a great deal of time, persistence and determination.

My husband has attended trade fairs in the gardening industry for many years, so I decided to explore what was available in the artisan food world. That's when I discovered the Speciality Fine Food Fair.

For me, it was a game changer.

At the time, the show took place in September and I thought it would be perfect timing ahead of Christmas. In some ways it was – there are always retailers willing to take a chance on an exciting new brand at short notice. However, I also learned that many of the larger delis, chains, farm shops and hamper companies make their buying decisions much earlier in the year.

Even so, the Speciality Fine Food Fair set us up beautifully for the Christmas season. Trade orders were arriving every other day, and it was as much as my small team of "Oompa Loompas" could manage from my kitchen!

This year, I am far better prepared. I now have a dedicated kitchen devoted entirely to The CoCo House, and we are ready for the busy Christmas period ahead.

Last April, I also attended the Farm Shop & Deli Show while the Speciality Fine Food Fair took a break in 2026, and once again it proved invaluable for attracting new customers. I felt that the location of the Farm Shop and Deli has led to another whole set of different customers.

Next year, I'll be exhibiting at the Speciality Fine Food Fair in London in April. The added bonus? I don't often get an excuse to visit London – and I love London!

Article 3

People want real food

There is, once again, a growing desire for real food—food with character, knowing it was grown organically and gathered humanely.

And yet, in the ordinary course of daily life, we often find ourselves hurrying through the familiar aisles of the supermarket, gathering the every day necessities: bread, milk, eggs, butter. We select biscuits and crisps, simple pleasures for convenience, jars of jam and spreads for ease, and prepared meals that promise speed above all else. But in doing so, we seldom pause to consider the quiet story behind them—whence they came, and by whose hand they were made.

A ready-prepared quiche may bear the appearance of homeliness, yet one is left to wonder: from what farm were its eggs gathered? What flour lies within its pastry? And by what means does it remain unchanged upon the shelf for a fortnight or more, when a kitchen-made quiche would yield itself in a matter of days?

In these more thoughtful times, shaped by increased knowledge and a renewed curiosity, we are reminded of a simple and enduring truth: that we are, in every sense, shaped by what we consume.

Elsewhere, beyond the supermarket’s steady rhythm, there remains a more traditional food culture—one of olive oil drawn from Italian groves, eggs collected fresh from roadside stalls, sourdough loaves still warm from the baker’s oven, and bright, seasonal produce gathered from local fields. There are fine cheeses and cured meats offered from delicatessens, each carrying with it a sense of craft and origin. These are foods of evident quality and pleasure, though they ask something more of us in return: time, attention, and a willingness to choose with care. Thus we are reminded to shop not hastily, but thoughtfully—balancing indulgence with necessity, and pleasure with restraint.

At The CoCo House, we hold fast to this same belief in honest ingredients and considered craft.

Our cocoa is drawn for its depth of flavour from an organic cooperative in Peru, grown within shaded agroforestry systems that respect both land and grower alike. Our sugar is unrefined, selected for its natural warmth and character, while our spices are chosen with equal care for their authenticity and aromatic grace.

The CoCo House artisan hot chocolates are an offering of quiet indulgence. They are found in farm shops and delicatessens alongside other carefully chosen provisions. Intended as a small luxury: a gift for the chocolate lover, or a quiet moment of comfort in the everyday.