Tasting chocolate for a living may sound too good to be true but for Rachel Widger it’s a sweet dream come true.
As her freelance work as retail auditor dried up over the Coronavirus pandemic, the 36-year-old instead turned her hand to chocolate making and hasn’t looked back.
Transforming an old caravan on her front lawn in St Fergus into her very own mini chocolate factory, the 36-year-old single mum launched The Green Cocoa Team – her own range of dairy, gluten free and Vegan treats using luxury dark Belgian chocolate.
As someone who has suffered with stomach problems as a result of intolerances to dairy and wheat, Rachel was determined to create a free-from chocolate range that is tastier than the limited selection on the supermarket shelves.
Society caught up with Rachel to find get the lowdown on her melt-in-the-mouth venture.
Can you tell us a little about your background?
I’m originally from the Devon/Cornwall area. I originally did a degree in marine biology because I lived near the coast so I always liked the coast and the sea.
Then I had my little boy just after I finished my degree but I’d always wanted to do a Masters degree, so when my son was a baby I did an Open University Masters degree part-time over three years. It was on the Public Understanding of Science because I thought I might want to go into the science education career route.
By the time my son started school, I felt like I didn’t really want to be a full-time career person, I wanted to do the school runs for my son, so I got part-time jobs in hospitality, working in kitchens and pubs while my son was at primary school.
I then went self-employed as a domestic cleaner and home helper because I wanted the flexibility of choosing my own hours. So I did that all throughout my son’s primary school years.
When did you make the move to Aberdeenshire?
My parents had already lived in Scotland for many years so I decided I wanted to move up to Scotland to be closer to my family so I moved up here three years ago.
When I moved up here I didn’t want to do cleaning anymore so I did freelance retail auditing But then lockdown happened and my work dried up so I knew I had to do something different.
What inspired you to make your own chocolate?
I was aware I had dairy and wheat intolerances as I had stomach issues but I think like many of us, I was maybe a bit lazy about doing anything about it.
But during lockdown I was really strict and I went dairy and wheat free and I could see the healthy benefits really quickly as my energy levels and my mood improved.
As I’m an absolute chocoholic, I suddenly thought “oh gosh, I can’t eat chocolate”.
I tried some dairy-free chocolate from the supermarket but it just didn’t really do it for me.
So I developed my own truffles and then I shared them with friends and family. Everyone said they were amazing so I just started selling them. It wasn’t like a major plan to be a chocolatier but it kind of happened and I’m very please it did.
Tell us about your chocolate?
It’s completely dairy and gluten free and egg free so it’s vegan friendly. I use a Belgian chocolate that’s 55% cocoa so it’s not too dark.
With other vegan or free-from chocolates, they try to make it taste like milk chocolate.
I wanted to avoid that as I don’t think it works. So I chose to go down the dark chocolate natural dairy-free route. I’m all about creating chocolate that is dark and indulgent.
What products do you have?
I’ve got 12 flavours of truffles at the moment. My most popular truffles are the caramel and sea salt truffles.
I also have Belgian chocolate creams with 24 flavours. At the moment I’ve got a candyfloss cream which has been really popular with children. I’ve also got a rhubarb cream that everyone really likes.
The strawberry and the mint creams are always the most popular though.
One of the more unusual flavours is lychee. I also have two different types of chocolate bars – flavoured bars and inclusions bars which have little pieces of fruit or nuts in them.
I also have peanut butter cups, they’re one of my most popular ranges. I call them my healthy version of one of the big brand bars because it’s the little dark chocolate shell with pure peanut butter inside so you get a bit of a protein kick.
I can never make enough of them and I also make a salted version as well.
Tell us about your ‘chocolate caravan’?
Yes, I’ve got a little caravan which has been converted into what I have called “the chocolate caravan”.
It’s based in the front yard of our home so everything is made in the caravan.
In terms of equipment, I’ve recently upgraded and bought a real tempering chocolate machine. I struggled for ages with just a melting pot but because I was more in demand I knew I had to increase production.
All my packaging is completely compostable too.
What are your plans for the future?
I would definitely like a bigger kitchen as I’m starting to outgrow my little caravan now.
I like the idea of stocking my produce in more shops too especially all the refillery type shops and also cafes.
I also want to keep doing the farmer’s markets as they have been fantastic and I’ve met so many lovely people through them. The markets are like a community, everyone is so supportive.
Are you still a chocoholic since starting your business?
It’s been over a year now and honestly when I open the caravan door and the smell of chocolate wafts out I really love it – it smells like heaven.
I taste every single batch of chocolate so even if I’ve been tasting stuff all day I can still sit down in the evening and eat chocolate – I just love it.
Where can people buy your products?
On the website or I also go ’round the farmer’s markets so I do Peterhead, Stonehaven, Bridge of Don and Curated in the Bon Accord Centre.
My mum Rosalind helps out which is great. I’ve also got three shops stocking my produce including Bare in Ellon, Mains of Glassaugh, a farm shop near Portsoy and a new shop in Cullen called Seafield Seafoods.
I also make individual truffles for cafes to serve with their coffees.
For more information about The Green Cocoa Team check out their website, Facebook or Instagram.
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