The Art of Chocolate- COCO chocolatier

Eating chocolate is truly an indulgence and chocolate itself is more than food- it is art.

This is very much COCO’s moto. The chocolatier based in Edinburgh, Scotland, brings together a team of independent artists, which produce gourmet chocolate confections.

COCO challenge industry norms, by sourcing its product directly at the origin from Colombia. The cocoa passes meticulous quality check before it is turned into couverture. The chocolate artisans then use it to create original designs.

COCO's director, Calum Haggerty, addresses common issues in the cocoa industry, like farmers not being paid a fair amount. COCO help contributes to Colombia’s economy by creating jobs with a steady income. They use a product that is more finished 'at origin'- meaning it stays in the Columbian economy for longer.

‘On our own, we don’t have the answers, but we like to think the way we source tackles that. We have the opportunity as a small business, we can pick and choose more than a larger company can’, Calum says.

In addition, the chocolatier collaborates with contemporary artists from all over the world to create designs for chocolate wrappers. This not only makes their products unique but also provides a platform for artists to showcase their work to a different audience.

One of the artist COCO collaborate with is Chris Turner. Originally studied fine furniture making and design in Glasgow, he now has his own company – Turner Furniture.

Chris’ designs focus on quality and detail. He uses traditional cabinetmaking processes and techniques with an emphasis on modern marquetry and contemporary style.

Barrel Aged Smoked Coffee

Emer Tumilty designed COCO’s chocolate collection for Easter. She is also a Glasgow based artist and comes from a background in Architecture and Visual Communication. Her work is inspired by the playfulness of Postmodern design.

Easter Spice Milk 40%

Easter Spice Dark 61%

COCO also released a Thank You NHS Collection, created to support and show gratitude to the National Health Service for their work during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The author of the designs is Andrew Rae, who kindly donated his artwork 'National Hero Service' for the purpose of this project.

£5 from each bar purchase is donated to an NHS.

COCO Chocolatier also collaborate with international artists, including Sir Billy Connolly, William LaChance, Atelier Bingo, François Mangel and many others.

This not only makes COCO a key player in Scotland’s contemporary cultural landscape but also a part of the international art conversation.