Willie Harcourt-Cooze

Last updated

William George Harcourt-Cooze (born 29 April 1964) is a British-based chocolate maker and entrepreneur. He came to public prominence in 2008 with the airing of the Channel 4 fly-on-the-wall documentary, Willie's Wonky Chocolate Factory, which centred on his efforts to grow, import and produce his own chocolate. [1]

Contents

Early life

Born in London to a Burmese father and Irish mother, he has two younger, and two older sisters, as well as a younger brother. [2] His father fled Burma during the Second World War. When Willie was four his father bought Horse Island on the south west coast of Ireland between Ballydehob and Schull, where his father started farming and living a self-sufficient life. [3] [4] [5]

He attended school in Waterford, Ireland. Returning to England aged eleven, he was unhappy and returned to Ireland after a year where he attended a comprehensive school in Cork. [6] After completing basic schooling there, he moved back to England again to study for his A-levels and was considering following in his father's footsteps and becoming a property developer. In 1982, whilst on a night out with some friends, he was stabbed by an unknown assailant, but made a good recovery. Soon after this happened, he received the news that his father had died. He decided to travel and visited Australia, Peru and the Far East. [5] [7]

Chocolate

After marrying Tania Coleridge, they honeymooned, trekking on horseback in Venezuela where, in 1993, whilst speaking to a beach umbrella salesman he was directed to the 1,000 acres (400 ha) cocoa farm, in the Venezuelan cloud forest, Hacienda El Tesoro [8] [9] in the Henri Pittier National Park, near Choroni Beach. [10] [11]

They eventually decided to sell his flat in London, and emigrated to Venezuela to purchase El Tesoro. [12] [13] They planted more than 50,000 cacao trees of the Criollo cultivar, and built up an eco-tourism venture. In 1998 he started making 100% cacao bars for locals from the farm, with moulds made from a clay pipe. [11]

In 2007, they returned to the UK. [14] [15]

In 2008, after being falsely accused, investigated and cleared by the regime of Hugo Chavez for exploitation of locals, they mothballed the farm temporarily. [5] [16] [17] [18] [19]

Relocating to a rented property in Devon, England, after several years of assembling suitable equipment, [20] and the resumption of cocoa farming, he began production in 2007 in Uffculme, Devon, filmed by Channel 4. [16] [17] In 2008 the TV show was recommissioned for a second series, the follow-up series Willie's Chocolate Revolution: Raising the Bar, aired on Channel 4 on 7–9 April 2009 which followed Harcourt-Cooze's attempt to introduce a high-cacao dark chocolate bar to the British market.

In the television series and beyond he has advocated a Bean-to-Bar approach, growing and sourcing his own cacao beans for production. [21]

In December 2020, he appeared on Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster podcast alongside Joe Thomas discussing his method for cooking lamb as featured on Willie's Perfect Chocolate Christmas. [22]

Personal life

Harcourt-Cooze has three children and lives in Tiverton, Devon [16] [17] In 2010 he and his wife, Tania Harcourt-Cooze divorced. [23]

Filmography

YearTitleRole
2008Willie's Wonky Chocolate FactorySelf
2008Willie's Perfect Chocolate ChristmasSelf
2009Willie's Chocolate Revolution: Raising the BarSelf
2011 Studio One Guest
2015 The Living Room Guest

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chocolate</span> Food produced from cacao seeds

Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cocoa beans that can be a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring in other foods. The cacao tree has been used as a source of food for at least 5,300 years, starting with the Mayo-Chinchipe culture in what is present-day Ecuador. Later, Mesoamerican civilizations consumed cacao beverages, of which one, chocolate, was introduced to Europe in the 16th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hot chocolate</span> Heated beverage of chocolate in milk or water

Hot chocolate, also known as hot cocoa or drinking chocolate, is a heated drink consisting of shaved or melted chocolate or cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and usually a sweetener. It is often garnished with whipped cream or marshmallows. Hot chocolate made with melted chocolate is sometimes called drinking chocolate, characterized by less sweetness and a thicker consistency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker</span> American chocolate manufacturer

Scharffen Berger is an American chocolate manufacturing company, which was a subsidiary of The Hershey Company after it had been acquired in 2005. Scharffen Berger was established as an independent Berkeley, California-based chocolate maker in 1996 by sparkling wine maker John Scharffenberger and physician Robert Steinberg.

Chuao is a small village located in the northern coastal range mountains of Venezuela, founded in 1660. The village is famous for its cacao plantations, Diablos danzantes and San Juaneras. The village is surrounded by mountains and dense rainforests to the south and the Caribbean Sea to the north. The nearby Henri Pittier National Park is the oldest national park in Venezuela, created in 1937. The village is only accessible by travelling via boat from nearby Choroní, and is approximately 4 kilometers inland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Callebaut</span> Belgian chocolate brand

Callebaut is a Belgian coverture chocolate manufacturer owned by the Barry Callebaut group and based in Belgium. It was founded in 1911 by Octaaf Callebaut in Belgium. Coverture chocolate contains high amounts of cocoa butter and is often used by gourmet and culinary professionals. Many professionals who use Callebaut coverture chocolate use it for its workability and consistent taste.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uffculme</span> Village in Mid Devon, England

Uffculme is a village and civil parish located in the Mid Devon district, of Devon, England. Situated in the Blackdown Hills on the B3440, close to the M5 motorway and the Bristol–Exeter railway line, near Cullompton, Uffculme is on the upper reaches of the River Culm. The population of the parish, according to a 2020 estimate, is 3,090. It is surrounded, clockwise from the north, by the parishes of Culmstock, Hemyock, Sheldon, Kentisbeare, Cullompton, Willand, Halberton and Burlescombe.

CocoaVia is a brand name for a daily cocoa extract supplement. The name CocoaVia is a registered trademark of Mars, Incorporated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Compound chocolate</span> Combination of cocoa, vegetable fat and sweeteners

Compound chocolate is a product made from a combination of cocoa, vegetable fat and sweeteners. It is used as a lower-cost alternative to pure chocolate, as it uses less-expensive hard vegetable fats such as coconut oil or palm kernel oil in place of the more expensive cocoa butter. It may also be known as "compound coating" or "chocolatey coating" when used as a coating for candy. It is often used in less expensive chocolate bars to replace enrobed chocolate on a product.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swiss chocolate</span> Chocolate processed in Switzerland

Swiss chocolate is chocolate produced in Switzerland. Switzerland's chocolates have earned an international reputation for high quality with many famous international chocolate brands.

The Honourable Tania Rosamund Harcourt-Cooze is an English model and actress.

Willie's Wonky Chocolate Factory is a United Kingdom television documentary series broadcast on Channel 4 in March 2008. Filmed in "fly-on-the-wall" style, it shows the efforts of Willie Harcourt-Cooze to establish a brand of 100% cacao chocolate in the UK.

TCHO is a chocolate maker based in Berkeley, California, US that promotes itself as working with cacao bean farmers and cooperatives to improve growing, fermentation and drying methods. Its factory and headquarters were formerly located on Pier 17 along the Embarcadero, in San Francisco's historic waterfront district, but are now located in the West Berkeley section of Berkeley, California. In February 2018, it was announced that TCHO would be bought by the Japanese confectionery company Ezaki Glico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theo Chocolate</span> American chocolate maker

Theo Chocolate is an American chocolate maker headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Established in 2006, it is the first organic fair trade-certified cocoa producer in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chocolaterie</span> Company that manufactures chocolates and sells them directly

A chocolaterie is a type of business which both manufactures chocolate confections and sells them, at the same location. It is usually a small family business, often operating at only one location. The word is of French origin, and shops named as such are common in France and Belgium. The term is also used to designate larger chocolate production companies, such as Chocolaterie Guylian, many of which started as smaller shops. This type of store operates in other countries, such as the US, Canada, the UK and Germany, sometimes using the French term. Stores which sell candies and chocolate but do not produce their own brand are called confectionery stores, or other names depending on the region. The related occupational term is chocolatier, though this term is also used sometimes to describe chocolateries, such as Godiva Chocolatier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mott Green</span> American businessman and chocolatier

Mott Green was an American businessman and chocolatier, who founded the Grenada Chocolate Company in 1999. An edition of The Food Programme was devoted to Mott Green in June 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Organic chocolate</span>

Organic chocolate is chocolate which has been certified organic. As of 2016, it was a growing sector in the global chocolate industry. Organic chocolate is a socially desirable product for some consumers. Organic chocolate has benefits including vitamin B12, vitamin E, niacin, riboflavin, phosphorus, manganese, zinc, calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron. Major brands, such as The Hershey Company, have begun to produce organic chocolate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dark chocolate</span> Chocolate with high cocoa solid content

Dark chocolate is a form of chocolate made of cocoa solids, cocoa butter and sugar. Without added sweetener, dark chocolate is known as bitter chocolate or unsweetened chocolate. Dark chocolate, above white and milk chocolate, is valued for claimed, albeit unsupported health benefits and for being a sophisticated choice of chocolate. Like milk and white chocolate, dark chocolate is used to make chocolate bars and as a coating for confectionery.

Horse Island is a small inhabited island in Roaringwater Bay, County Cork, Ireland, off the coast of Schull, that forms part of Carbery's Hundred Isles. No ferry service operates to and from the island; however, there is a pier, a heliport and a road on the island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zotter Schokolade</span> Austrian chocolate manufacturer

Zotter Schokolade is an Austrian chocolate manufacturer specializing in organic and fairly traded bean-to-bar chocolate. The company was founded in 1999 by Josef Zotter and is based in Riegersburg, Styria. Zotter is mostly active in German-speaking Europe, with 90 percent of distribution outlets being located in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. As one of Austria's most well-known trademarks, Zotter is considered a national high equity brand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bean-to-bar</span> From cocoa bean to chocolate bar

Bean-to-bar is a business model in which a chocolate manufacturer controls the entire manufacturing process from procuring cocoa beans to creating the end product of consumer chocolate.

References

  1. ↑ "Willie Harcourt-Cooze – Personally Speaking Bureau" . Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  2. ↑ "One Plus One: Willie Harcourt-Cooze – One Plus One – ABC News" (Video). Australian Broadcasting Corporation website. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 27 February 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  3. ↑ Ferguson, Giana (24 June 2019). Gubbeen. Octopus. ISBN   978-0-85783-851-3 . Retrieved 5 February 2023. Gubbeen is a 250-acre, traditional farm on the most south-westerly tip of Ireland and is renowned for its award-winning cheese (called Gubbeen) and its smoked meats. The Ferguson family produces more than 50 types of food from the farm and nothing is wasted so that the circle of life sustains the family whilst creating the highest quality products for speciality shops around the world... and projects with William Harcourt-Cooze, Clovisse's godfather, a man who always brought adventure into every project we shared. He owned Horse Island ...
  4. ↑ kiely, sheila (7 June 2011). "Nuts & Chocolate". Gimme The Recipe. Retrieved 5 February 2023. I came across his cacao last weekend in Schull Farmer's Market at the Gubbeen Stall.
  5. 1 2 3 "Willie Harcourt-Cooze interview: Spilling the beans". The Scotsman. 1 March 2009. Archived from the original on 22 March 2009. Retrieved 30 July 2009.
  6. ↑ "Willie Harcourt-Cooze interview: Spilling the beans". The Scotsman. 19 March 2009.
  7. ↑ "Modern day 'Willy Wonka' on cacao, chocolate and life-changing moments". ABC News. 26 February 2015. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  8. ↑ Times, The Sunday (2 September 2024). "How I make it work: Willie Harcourt Cooze". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  9. ↑ meaning: "treasure", in Spanish
  10. ↑ "Bean to Bar | Philosophy of Chocolate". williescacao.com. 25 June 2014. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  11. 1 2 Jill Park (7 May 2009). "Sweet success for Willie's chocolate factory". Packaging News. Retrieved 30 July 2009.
  12. ↑ Cooper, Amy (5 November 2014). "Willie Harcourt-Cooze is a chocolate fanatic". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  13. ↑ Foster, Nick (10 May 2013). "Expat lives: UK entrepreneur makes chocolate in Venezuela". www.ft.com. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  14. ↑ "Willie's Cacao: Adventures In Chocolate". Great British Chefs. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  15. ↑ "Willie's Cacao". Collective Hub. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  16. 1 2 3 "Willie's Wonky Chocolate Factory". Channel 4 . Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  17. 1 2 3 Weinberg, Kate (23 February 2008). "Willie's wacky chocolate factory". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 14 March 2008.
  18. ↑ Goodhart, Benjie. "Interview: Willie Harcourt-Cooze". News. Channel 4 Sales. Archived from the original on 15 March 2008.
  19. ↑ Wynn-Davies, Patricia (17 March 2004). "Tania Harcourt-Cooze at The Chanters House, in Ottery St Mary: Me and My Home: At home with history". The Independent .
  20. ↑ Khalaf, Roula (8 April 2011). "Editor's Digest: Chocolatier William Harcourt-Cooze". www.ft.com. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  21. ↑ Egere-Cooper, Matilda (31 March 2015). "World Chefs: Chocolatier Harcourt-Cooze champions 'bean to bar'". Reuters.com.
  22. ↑ Ed and James and Willie and Joe's Perfect Chocolate Christmas , retrieved 31 December 2020
  23. ↑ "Willie & The Chocolate Factory". Bmi Voyager. Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.