⚲ Devon, England • Est. 2008

Willie’s Cacao

Single-estate chocolate made bean to bar in Devon.

FOUNDED

2008

FOUNDER

Willie Harcourt-Cooze

LOCATION

Uffculme, Devon

CATEGORY

Chocolate

 

About Willie’s Cacao

 

Willie’s Cacao makes deeply characterful chocolate from exceptional single-estate cacao, taking every bean through a patient, uncompromising process at its remarkable factory in Uffculme, Devon.

 
 
 

Made in Devon, England

 

Devon stretches between two coastlines, with farmland, river valleys, moorland and market towns creating an unusually rich setting for independent production.

The county’s makers draw on both tradition and experimentation. Familiar strengths in dairy, cider, baking and fishing now sit alongside specialist chocolate, drinks and contemporary craft. What connects them is an instinct for provenance—and the confidence to build world-class businesses without losing their relationship to place.

 

"Willie’s Cacao is a celebration of pure, single-estate chocolate — crafted from the world’s finest cacao, roasted and refined in small batches to capture its true character."

– Willie Harcourt-Cooze

Meet the people behind Willie’s Cacao

Willie Harcourt-Cooze is a cacao farmer, chocolate maker and one of the pioneers of Britain’s bean-to-bar movement. His years growing cacao in Venezuela shaped a lifelong pursuit of flavour, leading him to build a specialist chocolate factory in Devon and control every stage from sourcing the bean to wrapping the finished bar.

SENSE OF PLACE
Craft shaped by coast and countryside.
Explore independent Devon makers inspired by fertile land, dramatic shores and a long tradition of doing things properly.

Willie's Cacao – Milk of the Stars Surabaya

Signature product

Willie's Cacao – Milk of the Stars Surabaya

A beautifully balanced 54% milk chocolate made from Surabaya cacao, combining deep cacao character with a generous, creamy finish.

VALUES & SUSTAINABILITY

From estate to bar.

Willie’s Cacao works with carefully selected cacao estates and controls the complete chocolate-making process in Devon. Beans are checked on arrival and lightly roasted in small batches, while recipes favour natural ingredients and avoid using vanilla or lecithin to disguise or standardise the flavour of the cacao. Long, low-temperature conching protects the bean’s more delicate notes.

THE LOCAL EDITORIAL

Why we love Willie’s Cacao

Willie’s Cacao treats chocolate with the same seriousness given to fine wine. Each cacao is allowed to keep its own character, while slow processing and beautifully eccentric machinery turn the factory into a living expression of one maker’s obsession with flavour.

The craft of Chocolate

 

Britain’s independent chocolatiers are redefining what great chocolate can be. By pairing exceptional cocoa with thoughtfully sourced local ingredients, they’re creating bars, truffles and confections that celebrate craftsmanship over mass production.

From bean-to-bar specialists to makers like Summerdown, who pair their own peppermint with fine dark chocolate, every product tells a story worth discovering.

 

Discover the people behind Britain’s best products.

We don’t feature everything. Only the makers we genuinely believe in. Every producer is chosen for exceptional craftsmanship, thoughtful sourcing and a true connection to place—so you can discover Britain’s best with confidence.