Helen Arkwright has been making cakes, jams and “anything sweet” for as long as she can remember.
It is a love that stems from her late mother, Muriel Arkwright, who would welcome the assistance of Helen in the kitchen when rustling up a sugary treat.
“She [Muriel] was always making lovely homemade cakes and jams with her soft fruits from the garden,” says Helen, from Inverurie.
“I picked up the passion for that as I grew older.”
Fast forward to 2016 – and after being made redundant in the oil industry downturn – Helen decided to pick up from where she left off by launching her own baking business, known as Fine Piece Bakes.
But that’s not all. The now 52-year-old also went on to start her second food business, CocoCaramel, last November.
Expanding her horizons through chocolate
The entrepreneur spends roughly 30 hours per week dedicating her time to CocoCaramel products. These include, you guessed it, chocolate caramels.
Helen offers chocolate slabs in a variety of flavours and boxed ranges, including A Wee Dram, The Perfect Tonic and A Taste of Doric.
A Wee Dram features three chocolate caramels with a different local whisky to complement the dark, milk or white chocolate, while The Perfect Tonic boasts Aberdeenshire gins (rather than whisky), among other ingredients.
“The chocolate I use is by a Belgian chocolate company called Callebaut,” Helen says.
“Otherwise, I use as much local produce as I can sourcing cream and produce from local producers, whisky distilleries and gin makers.
“A Taste of Doric, with its combination of milk and dark chocolates using raspberries from Oldmeldrum, heather honey from Methlick and coffee roasted in Aberdeenshire, is a best seller.”
Having secured the accolade for Best New Product (from an emerging business) at the 2023 North East Scotland Food and Drink Awards, it’s clear that Helen has a knack for chocolate making.
Adores nothing batter ‘than being in the kitchen’
The chocolate making process takes two to three days for the CocoCaramel team. This includes a trainee chocolatier, two ‘chocolate box builders’, Helen’s husband and, of course, Helen.
She said: “Everything is done by hand and the processes need to have time to cool in between.
“I create the chocolates in two different ways (moulds and shells) and normally start production by making the caramels. This can mean making up to 10 different caramel fillings.”
Helen appreciates the process may sound tedious to some, but went on to say: “I love nothing more than being in the kitchen.
“I get to create mouth-watering flavours out of something that is essentially the sugar we use everyday to sweeten our tea.”
CocoCaramel: The collaborations and treats to come
As stated, supporting local is increasingly important to the primarily self-taught chocolatier.
She takes inspiration from producers at farmers’ markets, customer feedback, the seasons and her very own garden, which is undoubtedly influenced by Muriel.
Yesterday marked one year since Helen’s mother passed.
“I am the youngest of six so she [Muriel] was kept busy with us,” says Helen. “We are all great cooks and bakers following in her footsteps.
“One of my sisters is a chef running a small eco hotel in rural Andalusia.”
Following the recent release of the CocoCaramel Botanical Collection, the 52-year-old revealed she is always working on new products.
Helen added: “My friends, family and customers have been the best support and are always more than willing to try and give feedback.
“I always have lots of ideas buzzing about my head.
“I love collaborating with other producers and incorporating new flavours into my caramels. The team and I are trialing a rum collection for launch later this year.
“I am also about to launch a new collection, known as The Bees Knees, with a smoked sea salt caramel, a blossom honey caramel and a chocolate caramel ganache.”
For more information on CocoCaramel, visit www.cococaramel.co.uk or @cococaramelchocolates on Instagram.
The business can post UK-wide with Royal Mail and offer a collection option from Chelsea Road in Inverurie.