Coastal Cocoa was founded by me, James Bridger, in 2019. The company is dedicated to the creation of chocolate truffles, filled chocolates and other sweet treats. We use innovative flavours and textures, but always with a focus on creating the chocolates we would like to eat. And of course the chocolates have to look as good as they taste! Where possible we source ingredients locally, but our first priority is always creating the best possible taste experience. All of our chocolates are handmade in our hometown of Hastings, East Sussex. Our hometown provides the inspiration for our initial collection of chocolates, which are based on childhood holidays to the English seaside.
I first learnt to make chocolates on a course at the Leith cookery school over 15 years ago. It was 10 years ago that I started to take being a chocolatier more seriously, making chocolates every weekend and giving them to friends, family and workmates on a Monday morning. Through successes and failures my skills developed and I learnt what appealed to my taste testers (many thanks to the Murex teams at Commerz and UBS and Hastings Response B, C and D). Eventually, after over 20 years working in the technology sector, I decided to step away from my desk job and dedicate my life to my passion for chocolate. And share the delights of Coastal Cocoa with the public at large.
Coastal Cocoa chocolates are available online and at food fairs and specialist markets.