Owners of Cocoa Mama, in Eye – Helen and Guy Fraser – set to sell up after 18 years

A Suffolk chocolatier is set to sell the business she created from scratch 18 years ago – and has pledged to pass on her secret recipes to any new owner.

Helen Fraser, who runs Cocoa Mama, in Eye, with her husband Guy, has put the business on the market as she targets spending more time with her family.

The former journalist’s decision to go into chocolate was borne from her time spent travelling the world – and was kick-started by an epiphany at the top of a mountain in Finland.

She said: “When our two children were little I travelled a lot with my job and took an interest in patisserie as I was being served some amazing things around the world.

“On my 40th birthday, I was up a mountain and wanted to be at home with my children, so I decided on a career change and took a patisserie course at Norwich College.

“My love then rolled into chocolate and it has grown from there.”

Mrs Fraser worked with award-winning chocolatiers including Aneesh Popat and Marc Demarquette, and completed courses with Jean Pierre Wybauw – known around the world as ‘Mr Chocolate’.

As a new chocolatier, she started out supplying a gift shop called The Tilted Sky, in Broad Street.

When the owner said she wanted to retire in 2011, Mrs Fraser took on the shop and eventually the property next door as a base for the chocolates and a coffee shop.

“It has been a labour of love,” said Mrs Fraser. “The tipping point was this Christmas, when we were run off our feet.

“We now just want to spend some quality time with our family.”

The couple met just before lockdown and that was when Mr Fraser, by self teaching and learning from his wife, also became fully versed in creating beautiful handmade chocolate treats.

“We have put the building on the market but, if the new buyers wanted to learn how to make the chocolates, we can show them that as well,” said Mrs Fraser.

“The high street is changing and we are so lucky in a small market town to be so well supported. People travel a long way for our chocolate and we cannot thank everyone enough for supporting us. We have honestly loved every minute of it.”

For more information on the sale, go to paulhubbardonline.com