Harrogate shoppers have responded generously to a plea to donate chocolate this Christmas for people struggling to make ends meet.

Commercial Street Retailers Group is working with Harrogate District Foodbank on the initiative, which runs until December 15.

People can drop-off chocolate at four shops on Commercial Street: Foxy Antiques and Interiors, the Harrogate Town shop, Lilly’s Bistro and Cafe and White Rose Sewing.

The food bank had said it was overwhelmed by demand for help this Christmas and although it had received many donations of staple products, such as tinned food, some chocolate would add a touch of luxury to seasonal food parcels.

Sue Kramer, of Crown Jewellers on Commercial Street and head of the retailers group, said a previous article on the Stray Ferret has generated a huge response.

“it’s going really well so far — Sue from Lilly’s has dropped off the first batch of chocolates and Harrogate Foodbank were both shocked and delighted with how much there was.

“It’s so heartwarming to know that even with everything everyone has been through with covid there is still genuine kindness and compassion in Harrogate for those less fortunate.

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A new chocolate café will open on East Parade in Harrogate on Monday to help those with learning difficulties gain work experience.

Planning for the The Harrogate Chocolate Factory Café, which is run the by charity, Harrogate Skills 4 Learning Centre, has been underway since 2019 but opening was delayed due to covid.

The café has a barista bar and seating inside and outside. One of the first thing you’ll notice when entering the café is the colourful packaging design on the main pillar.

Fran Riley, the programme lead, told the Stray Ferret what the charity’s vision for the café is:

“The idea was that we would have a business where we could develop a process all of our young people could access. So making chocolate bars from bean to bar… while sourcing the beans as ethically as we could.”

The employees make a variety of handmade chocolate- all the chocolate is made with dairy alternatives so that “everyone can enjoy some”.

The chocolate is made from scratch in the charity’s main building nearby. It starts with roasting the cocoa beans in their kitchen and ends with pouring liquid chocolate in a moulding tray.

Kelsey Cuthbert, who works at the café, said it is a positive experience:

“I’ve grown from when I started trying to make coffees and stuff, and now I can do the job almost independently.”

A chocolate mixer in action at the café this week

The charity has described the café as a “social enterprise” giving its workers the skills for future employment.

Only 6% of people with learning disabilities have paid employment in the UK, according to the latest government figures.

The Harrogate Chocolate Factory Cafe also offers an outside seating area that is equipped to serve customers with disabilities.

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All details about the café’s opening can be found on their website here.

Harrogate is to get its own chocolate factory cafe this summer staffed by people promised to be more talented than Willy Wonka.

The Harrogate Chocolate Factory cafe is due to open at the end of May in the former Big Red Bike Company building, near the Odeon cinema.

Learning disability charity Harrogate Skills 4 Living Centre (HS4LC), which is behind the initiative, has spent £100,000 renovating the building.

The charity, which was set up in 2010, helps adults with learning disabilities and autism.

Many of the people it supports have been unable to get work experience during the pandemic.

As a result, HS4LC set up its own business making chocolate in the kitchen of its offices on North Park Road, Harrogate.

Demand grew quickly and the charity sold 500 chocolate hampers before Christmas.

This encouraged it to set up a cafe as a social enterprise, selling chocolate made in the chocolate ‘factory’ beneath its offices.

Currently the Harrogate Chocolate Factory only sells a 70% dark chocolate bar made from Peruvian cocoa beans but a vegan milk chocolate bar is in the works.

Michael Horn, enterprise manager for the chocolate project, told the Stray Ferret:

“There are a few reasons why you can feel good if you buy this chocolate. It supports charity, it’s sustainable and it doesn’t have any nasty allergens.

“Coronavirus has made it a tough year for everyone. We are still here to help young adults with learning difficulties.

“Our charity is there to be like the final step to help our clients get into the world of work. It gives them another choice.”

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Hadyn Moorby-Davies, chief executive of HS4LC, said:

“It will be fantastic to see the cafe when it opens, I am really chuffed with how it has been working so far.

“The students are also really excited about it. The Harrogate Chocolate Factory has been in planning for a couple of years.

“We know that York has a strong connection to chocolate but why can’t Harrogate have that as well? Maybe this could be the start.”