Building a Successful Business

John Partington, Chocology

Tuesday 28 September 10, 12:00 - 14:15
The Oxford Centre, 333 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 7PL
Group: Central Oxford
Tel: 01865 554719
Cost: £23.50 (Non-members pay £28.50)

Founded in November 2000, CHOCOLOGY has, in its short term of existence, gone from strength to strength. In February 2001, it opened its first store, in Oxford’s famous Covered Market. It started as a retail supplier of continental chocolate and has since attracted an impressive corporate client list supplying chocolate on a wholesale basis to entities including a number of the University of Oxford colleges and local and national businesses.

In February 2002, Chocology opened its first store in London and in November 2003, the Oxford shop was enlargened, in order to incorporate a hot chocolate bar. Imported from France in liquid form, the Valhrona hot chocoloate served is the purest hot chocolate to be found anywhere!

In July 2001, CHOCOLOGY Oxford appeared on the ITV food programme, Nosh, representing the continental chocolatier in a comparison of English and continental gastronomy. In London, it has been featured in “What’s on in London” weekly as well as in the BBC Good Homes Magazine, The Mail on Sunday and the Oxford Times.

Whilst CHOCOLOGY handles bulk orders and is capable of supplying large quantities on a regular basis to corporate clients, CHOCOLOGY’s approach remains to treat each customer with the same high quality and level of personal service which is why CHOCOLOGY prides itself on a bespoke service, also offering hand-packaged and individually designed items.

In addition to the retail and corporate supply business, CHOCOLOGY has also become established as a supplier of chocolate for weddings and functions, supplying and delivering bulk chocolate, wedding favours and bombonieres, personalised and designed according to the event and customers' wishes.

In 2008, it created its own label "Chocology" chocolates / packaging, which are now being bought by independent chocolate shops and delis, across the country.