York’s Chocolate Story has launched its first Chocolate and Gin Tour, combining two treats and a interactive journey into York's chocolate history.
The adults-only experience leads guests on a 90-minute guided tasting journey through the rich histories and complex flavours.
Visitors will sample four gins, each paired with a selection of chocolates, while York’s Chocolate Story’s knowledgeable guides share the fascinating tales behind both the chocolates and spirits.
General manager, Stuart Wood, and tour guide and theatre student, Lizzie, share their thoughts on the new tour.
The adults-only experience leads guests on a 90-minute guided tasting journey through the rich histories and complex flavours.
Visitors will sample four gins, each paired with a selection of chocolates, while York’s Chocolate Story’s knowledgeable guides share the fascinating tales behind both the chocolates and spirits.
General manager, Stuart Wood, and tour guide and theatre student, Lizzie, share their thoughts on the new tour.
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00:00I would like to know. I needed a license.
00:04But still, as a woman, I built a thriving business to end on.
00:09I can't believe it's not real chocolate. However, it still does come from this cocoa pod, it just doesn't use the entire thing.
00:15So that's a little debate for you guys to have a think about whether you think it's real chocolate or not.
00:19Does anyone have any opinions on that?
00:21Tastes nice.
00:24Sweet jams.
00:25Yeah.
00:26Creamy.
00:27Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:31Yeah.
00:39So we're going to be doing our chocolate baking here.
00:41So what you've got in front of you is a transfer paper.
00:45So it's got cocoa butter on it.
00:47So when you pipe chocolate onto it, it will melt.
00:50Hi there, I'm Stuart Wood, General Manager here at York's Chocolate Story.
00:54Speaking about the gym tours that we're launching tomorrow night on the 20th of September.
00:58A great addition to our experiences.
01:01We currently run VIP masterclasses, workshops for schools and also workshops for hen parties, that sort of thing.
01:07So it was an obvious addition to the tour to look at different demographics.
01:11So we're now looking at the adult market.
01:13Friday night, five o'clock here in York.
01:15It's a great addition, like I say.
01:17It's available online on our website.
01:20It came about because obviously developing the attraction, moving forward from just being a visitor attraction,
01:25we needed to look at how we could improve the attraction, how could it increase the experience.
01:30We opened the market up, hence why this is an adult-only experience for 18 plus,
01:34because obviously you've got the gym element.
01:36We spoke to Eating Owl, who provide all our gym, a local event.
01:40We attend a lot of local events to get local coverage, to work together, to encourage partnerships, that sort of thing.
01:46And we spoke to them and they came up with the concept of sharing their gins, different flavours.
01:51We brought them back to site here and then looked at how we could adapt the experience
01:55and how they fit in with the tour and how we could make a sellable product.
01:58So the product is about an hour and a half, like I say, five o'clock on a Friday evening.
02:02Starting tomorrow night, the 23rd of September.
02:04And it's priced at £29.95.
02:07It's available on the website and it's a really great way to start your evening here in York.
02:13There's loads of restaurants in York. It starts at about 8 or 9 o'clock.
02:16So people can come here, have a pre-drink, enjoy a bit of gin, company with each other,
02:21make some new friends and then go on to wherever evening afterwards.
02:24So obviously it starts tomorrow night on a Friday night.
02:27We'll look at developing that and going forward.
02:29So a month from now, we'll look at maybe introducing the rum to us.
02:32So on a week, we'll introduce rum.
02:35First part of the week, gin.
02:38End of the week, we may move it about.
02:40So there's gin and rum and obviously a masterclass as well,
02:43which has proven very popular as well here at York's Chocolate Story.
02:46We started here in 2012 as a basic tour.
02:51We've developed over time, we've introduced different experiences
02:54so people can see, touch, feel chocolate and really, really enjoy it.
02:58We also do seasonal events.
02:59So we do Easter, Christmas, Halloween, everything like that.
03:03So that's the whole family, adult market, older couples, younger couples can really enjoy it.
03:08We even do things like end parties, team building and that sort of thing.
03:11So we've got a full workshop downstairs.
03:14Hi guys, I'm Lizzie and I'm the tour guide.
03:16And it's just been so nice to just bring this tour from the village and make it come to life.
03:21I've had many, many years of bartending experience, so I really know my alcohols
03:25and it's just been great to share it with everybody.