Owned and operated by chocolatier and pastry chef Alicia Chapman, Little Cocoa specialises in fine handcrafted chocolate pralines, multi-layered ‘dragees’ (French confectionery with a hard outer shell), delicious filled vegan chocolate bars, chocolate-spiked treats and buttery baked goods. Initially kicking off in the world of personalised and corporate gifts, weddings and custom-made treats, Alicia has recently expanded Little Cocoa’s offering to incorporate more of a retail element. Yes, she makes businesses, brides and best friends happy with her boxes of handcrafted gifts – but she found that locals were more often than not buying her products as gifts for others, and she wanted her customers to enjoy her creations for themselves as well.

So, in a bid to make sure Little Cocoa’s treats can be savoured by all, locals can now browse its sugar-dipped online store for delectable artisan sweets, all made from scratch its warehouse (we’re envisaging a mini version of Willy Wonka’s secret chocolate factory), with Gold Coasters offered the option of delivery or pick-up from its premises on Southport’s Bailey Crescent. Choose from the likes of guilt-free salted-caramel vegan chocolate bars filled with delicious centres, decadent brownies topped with smooth chocolate buttercream, vanilla whipped cream, salted caramel and a chocolate tuile, or treat yourself to a four-pack of indulgent chocolate-chip cookie sandwiches with a luscious chocolate buttercream filling. Occasionally Little Cocoa will open its premises for pop-up weekends, so keep your eyes peeled. In the meantime, all of the sweet handmade goodness is just a few clicks away on the website.

Image credit: Little Cocoa