About Chocolate Treasures

Soon after the release of our first product (The Original Box) we were approached by a few sales reps who were interested in selling our chocolates. After mulling it over for a short time, we decided to give it a go, though we didn’t have a clue what to expect from it. We were so surprised to see that they were selling our boxes in large quantities from the get-go. We never doubted the capabilities of the reps, we just couldn’t quite believe that customers were ready and willing to buy what we had made! From this point on, we knew we would need a bigger place to work from, so we started renting a small unit up the road from where we live. This enabled us to immediately expand and create new products and a short time later, we rented a second unit as we were growing so quickly. Things ran relatively smoothly for a time but once we had exceeded 30 reps, we realized that we would need a much better infrastructure in place to continue down that road. We desperately tried to provide them with the things they would need to get started.

We put together starter packs and we were focusing on setting up a new website, one that the reps could have access to, but unfortunately, we hit a brick wall with the website development, and it became very frustrating that we couldn’t provide them with what they needed. Aside from this, there were only three of us running the entire business at this point which meant that the reps were being neglected whilst we were producing the products. It was a vicious cycle and a lesson learned (not to run before you can walk) but ultimately, we had to dial down the rep program and concentrate on building our brand and establishing the business. We don’t regret starting the rep program. We’re grateful that they were willing to embark on an unknown journey, with a brand-new business and we learned a lot from them.

During the Summer of 2020, we noticed that a high street shop had become available. We deliberated and really didn’t know if we should take the risk, after all this was at a time when the whole world was in and out of lockdowns and we really didn’t know if our business could survive the long-lasting effects of COVID! The decision was finally made one day, when we looked out of our unit window to see that our street sign (which said ‘Chocolate Treasures Now Open’ with a large arrow painted on it) was pointing in the opposite direction to our unit, and instead, pointed towards the empty high street shop! So, we took the leap and have never looked back!

Shortly after moving in, we realised that we couldn’t accommodate our original concept, jewellery and chocolate, due to space issues. We didn’t want to compromise on the quality of the end product, so we decided to focus solely on the chocolates for a while. (The jewellery is still in the pipeline)! This turned out to be the best decision and due to the immediate popularity amongst the community, we grasped the opportunity to expand into the next shop just 4 months later!

We opened our doors at a time when the future of many small businesses was uncertain. It was a time when most businesses were forced to close through repeated lockdowns. We have never taken for granted how blessed we truly were to have had the opportunity that we did.