Creating small batch craft chocolate with wild-harvested ingredients in Falmouth since 2012, former pastry chef Mike Longman and his team are changing the face of sustainable chocolate production in Cornwall. Chocolarder delivers unique flavours with uncompromising ethics.
From the delicate coconut notes of handpicked gorse flowers to the tropical tang of sea buckthorn and ginger, Chocolarder loves to play with locally sourced, unusually delicious flavour combinations – often foraged from the Cornish coastline. Chocolarder never uses essential oils when they can use the real thing, prioritising ingredient availability and sustainability over wider consumer choice.
“My go-to snack is our croissant and coffee blend, which we make using Watergate’s leftover breakfast pastries and coffee grounds from our factory.”
Name: Becca Lazar
Business name: Chocolarder
What we buy: Rich and dark chocolate for decadent desserts. In return, we send Chocolarder our favourite leftover ingredients – like flaky croissants and generous chunks of our famous waffles – to use in their Again range.
Where they’re based: In the middle of buzzing Falmouth, just inland from North Quay, in a newly renovated boutique store on Arwenack Street.
Distance from Watergate Bay: 35 miles
“Chocolate is technically the most complex food on the planet; the flavour notes are far more complex than wine or coffee,” says Becca. “Off-the-shelf, mass-produced chocolate isn’t really designed to be tasted, but Chocolarder chocolate deserves time. When you take your time, you discover the depth of flavour.”
While the Cornish microclimate can't support homegrown cocoa beans, Chocolarder works with sustainable growers around the world, like the all-female cooperative in eastern Congo, or the farmers in Sierra Leone who grow cocoa in harmony with the rainforest.
Chocolarder has a simple ethical stance: ‘no compromise’. Its commitment to creating better chocolate stretches from ingredient sourcing to zero-plastic packaging produced in Redruth, and reducing food miles by sharing delivery routes.
Helping to create a circular food economy, Chocolarder’s Again range saves delicious ingredients that would otherwise go to waste, using them to infuse its chocolate with incredible flavours.
“Watergate Bay Hotel chefs are saving their leftover waffle batter and cooking it into little waffle pieces for us,” says Becca. “We’re experimenting with toasting the crumbs and grinding chunks into fine pieces before blending them into milk chocolate. It’ll be great for guests staying at the hotel to take away a little taste of Watergate Bay.”
“One of our first exclusive flavour combos in the Falmouth shop is sea buckthorn and ginger. If you’ve never tried sea buckthorn, it’s incredibly tart with an almost sour note, like mango or papaya. The ginger brings a delicious balance and warmth.”
“I've known Mike for over 15 years now, and his knowledge and ethos are second to none. With Chocolarder, he's championing artisan bean-to-bar chocolate, and for me, it's the best I've tried. I’m really excited for what we can create together." – Chris Eden, Executive Head Chef
Break off a chunk of Chocolarder’s moreish croissant and coffee blend (or the exciting in-the-works waffle batter blend) to be instantly transported back to breakfast at Watergate Bay – wide-angle Atlantic views, and a day walking the cliff path stretching out ahead of you.
From foraged gorse flowers to leftover croissants and waffles from our kitchen, Cornwall’s only bean-to-bar chocolate maker, Chocolarder, is turning bold flavours and sustainable thinking into world-class chocolate.
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