York Chocolate Story: I went to a Willy Wonka chocolate factory which adults will love

Our reporter Sophie Mei Lan went to York Chocolate Story at the weekend to take a step back in time.

I love York Castle Museum, where I can explore the history of this Viking city which is over 2,000 years old, including its chocolate heritage.

It was here I first bought a book on the history of chocolate in York.

Neither a book nor a museum was likely to pique my children’s curiosity, even if the historical subject was chocolate, but I knew a trip to a "chocolate factory”, aka York’s Chocolate Story could.

We went to York at the weekend but as predicted the York Christmas Market was heaving.

As we had already explored the markets the week before, rather than wait in long queues, we started our chocolate journey at Pizza Hut on Pavement.

Why?

What does Pizza Hut have to do with chocolate?

Not only is Pizza Hut a cheap and cheerful affair but there was a more poignant reason for me wanting to dine here today rather than one of the many independent eateries I normally look forward to in York.

This building on Pavement is the birthplace of Joseph Rowntree whose father, with the same name, bought this as their first foothold in York.

Downstairs is a fairly basic Pizza Hut restaurant with three storeys of grade II- listed flats towering above.

Next door is the alleyway or ‘snicket’ known as Lady Peckett's Yard. This entire street has been home to many wealthy merchants over the years.

Once we’d had our fill of the salad bar, we escaped the hustle and bustle of the city centre via The Shambles for a guided tour and truffle rolling workshop at York Chocolate Story.

You enter through the gift shop and cafe which sells a range of York based brands as well as their own artisan chocolates and hot chocolates. It’s much more high end chocolate than the usual factory shop produce I’ve taken the kids to buy before.

Our tour started off on the third floor where we explored the history of chocolate starting with the founding confectionary families in York.

We tried some of the original chocolate before going into a mini cinema to discover how the raw cocoa - ‘drink of the Gods’ - became so popular. We tried the raw cocoa before entering the next room.

We continued exploring the history and tasting chocolate before going down to the production area on the second floor.

Here we learnt about how chocolate is made from bean to product.

Then it was time to get messy. Each group had their own counter to mould and decorate their own chocolate lollies and four truffles per person.

Whilst these were cooling we went into the next room and watched staff expertly mould chocolates. Again there were more tasters at the end.

We certainly had our fill of chocolate by the end of the tour as well as our truffles and lolly to take home.

It’s definitely more catered to seven years old+ but adults will enjoy it just as much - if not more - than the kids.