Meet the team at an award-winning chocolate shop - with a theatrical extra touch
Spreading happiness with chocolate is the aim of the team behind a shop perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth.
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Dan Ball and Summer Hevican run Chocolate Treasures which has been based in Hednesford Road in Heath Hayes since September 2020.
The concept for the business was born 10 years ago when the couple decided, after multiple redundancies, that it was time to become their own bosses.
They came up with the idea of selling luxury boxes of Belgian chocolates, which contained a hidden piece of jewellery.
After putting together a business plan and prototype products, they got up and running with the help of a grant from The Prince’s Trust.
At first they sold their chocolate boxes solely online, working from their spare bedroom at home. But as demand for their products soared they outgrew the space and moved to a unit at Chasewood Business Park where they also opened a shop in 2019.
In summer 2020, they spotted a high street shop in Hednesford Road had become available and after careful deliberation decided to take the next step.
The move marked a change of direction for the business with the couple, who have a five-year-old daughter, Daisy, choosing to focus solely on chocolates for a while.
Four months later, the shop next door became available, enabling Chocolate Treasures to expand further to offer desserts and drinks.
“I sometimes pinch myself when I look around the shop and see what we’ve achieved. It’s been amazing,” says Dan, aged 37.