MOOCOCO IN STORRINGTON
MooCoco in Mill Lane, Storrington has won many awards for its artisan chocolates since opening five years ago. AAH visited the shop and met chocolatier Kim Robinson as she prepared for the busy Easter weekend…
WORLD ADVENTURES
Long before becoming a chocolatier, Kim developed culinary skills working in a variety of eateries. After studying for three years, she worked in NHS catering before running a successful family restaurant in Devon with her parents, where she specialised in desserts. After marrying, Kim’s husband’s work took them around the world, to countries including Gabon, Nigeria, Syria and Singapore, broadening her knowledge of foreign flavours. While raising a family, Kim loved making fascinating cakes for her children’s birthdays. However, it was while living in Australia that she first developed a real passion for chocolate.
‘I attended a course where I learned how to craft sugar flowers. While I was there, I met someone who had been on a chocolatiers course, working with Callebaut, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-quality chocolate. She said it was lovely chocolate to work with, so I attended various Callebaut courses, before buying a bag of callets and making my own chocolate. I still felt I had more to learn, so upon my return to the UK, I contacted a professional chocolatier in Oxfordshire, where Barry Callebaut has its UK headquarters. This culminated in me spending a week helping prepare treats for a major chocolate seminar, where I developed the skills that I needed to start my own business.’
BEST KEPT SECRET
Kim started by making chocolates for friends and family, and selling some in local shops. She called the business MooCoco as her children call her ‘Moo’ and it has a handy dairy connotation too. Five years ago, she began searching for a unit to showcase her full range of chocolates and found the ideal spot at a former veterinary practice away from the High Street in Mill Lane, Storrington. After a major refurbishment, Kim opened the doors of the shop in 2019, with space divided between manufacturing and retail, so that customers can see Kim making the chocolate. Aside from a handful of treats, including Turkish delight and fudge, everything is hand-made on site using only high-quality ingredients.
Kim said: ‘I use Callebaut chocolate, not only because it tastes wonderful and is used by leading chocolatiers around the world, but because of the positive impact it has on cocoa-growing communities around the world. Callebaut established the Cocoa Horizons Foundation, working with farmers to ensure they receive a fair salary and can create self-sustaining communities. I also source chocolate from several other luxury producers including Chocolaterie de L’Opera and Casa Luker.’
‘At MooCoco, we offer a range of chocolate bars, including a signature collection of Single Origin chocolates, so you know exactly where it has come from, be it Madagascar, Ghana, Guatemala or anywhere else. These are enjoyed by more discerning customers and come with tasting notes, similar to those of a fine wine. We are a destination shop and it takes time for people to discover us. People often say we’re Storrington’s best-kept secret, but we have plenty of regular customers through recommendations and word-of-mouth.’
MAGICAL EASTER
Besides chocolate bars, MooCoco offers a delicious selection of chocolate treats, from MooCoco-teasers to tumbled raspberries, dipped honeycomb to Gianduja almonds, and chocolate bombs with marshmallow to dark chocolate praline ‘cigars’. For Easter, Valentine’s Day and Christmas, Kim creates special gifts such as wreaths, love hearts and advent calendars, with seasonal decorations inspired by the artisan chocolate shops of Europe. This Easter, she made a selection of chocolate eggs infused with added elements including honeycomb, fudge and fruits and nuts.
Kim said: ‘Our eggs contain 300 - 400g of chocolate, so they are quite weighty! In addition to chocolate bunnies, I have made eggs designed with an African theme, inspired by the patterns of giraffes and leopards, with a thin layer of white chocolate over a milk chocolate bass to create a sheen effect. It is a time-consuming process, as you can only pipe half an egg at a time to ensure the patterns dry, but it’s worthwhile as they make a special gift for Easter. We have eggs that can be filled with individual chocolates too, or even dragon eggs for children. I find that there isn’t anything particularly special about buying a mass-produced egg from a supermarket. When people come to us, they inject a little bit of magic back into Easter. Whatever the time of year, we always wrap chocolate with ribbons or place them in gift boxes, as we want to create an experience.’
DELICIOUS BITES
For many, it is in the realm of the single chocolate that MooCoco truly excels. Some of the most delicious individual treats include a 70% truffle made with single origin chocolate from Papua New Guinea, where volcanic rock gives it a smoky flavour with leather notes.
Passionfruit is a treat that even those who usually avoid white chocolate will adore, while the Champagne truffle is infused with Jean Goyard Marc de Champagne. Other favourites include English peppermint, lemon cheesecake, and rose and violet fondants, with a guava flavoured treat now in development. Many have received awards, including some 15 Great Taste Awards, with coveted two-star awards for four chocolates including the Armagnac truffle and chocolate brownie. The shop has also been recognised in the 2023 Academy of Chocolate awards with two bronze awards and two silver awards, including its tumbled Brazil nuts.
Kim said: ‘Once you have the skill, the world’s your oyster when it comes to making chocolates. However, I have always had a natural talent for flavour combinations. My grandfather was a whiskey blender, so perhaps I have inherited some of his skill and adapted it to chocolate! I always encourage customers to try something new to see if they like it and of course it is nice to be recognised with awards too. The Academy of Chocolate, as that is judged by professional chocolatiers and chefs, so I am especially proud of have received four awards from them.’
Further information:
MooCoco, Gatley House, Mill Lane, Storrington, RH40 4NF
Article first published in AAH (All About Horsham) Magazine on 1st April 2024.
