Meet the Makers: The Current Challenges of Craft Chocolate

About the event

This ‘Meet the Makers’ talk and tasting will feature an expert panel of chocolate makers from the Cocoa Runners Craft Chocolate Fair, including Mikkel from Friis Holm, Patrick from Choco Del Sol, and Mike from Chocolarder. We will discuss a spectrum of the current challenges in craft chocolate, including rising prices of cacao, greenwashing, deforestation, and marketing cut-through. Listen to their stories and what they do to raise the bar in craft chocolate as we taste their bars with them.

The talk will run from 12:30-13:15 on Saturday 11th October, 2025 at the Fidelio Cafe, Farringdon and this ticket also includes free entry to the Craft Chocolate Fair from 13:15.

About Spencer Hyman

Spencer Hyman is a craft chocolate expert and the co-founder and director of Cocoa Runners. Spencer hosts chocolate tastings and education courses around the world, judges for international chocolate awards, and he often appears on TV, media and at conferences, including Sunday Brunch, World Cocoa Conference, Great Taste Awards, Society of Flavourists, International Wine Challenge, Barista Connect, Academy of Chocolate and more. For anything from the history of chocolate to the science of taste and flavour, Spencer is always on the hunt for new insights and expertise; he is always on the look out for great new craft chocolate makers and farmers, exploring how cocoa is grown and crafted — and understanding more about flavour, and how craft chocolate pairs with other great craft experiences like wine and coffee.

Important info:

• Tickets are non-refundable. If you purchase tickets but cannot make the event, please contact us and we’ll see what we can do.
• Please arrive five minutes before the event is due to start.
• The tasting will run for approximately 45 minutes.
• If you have any dietary requirements or allergies, please let us know. We will do our best to provide alternatives where possible. Please note, we may not be able to cater for severe allergies, as many events will be taking place throughout the day in the space and we cannot guarantee there will be no cross-contamination. If you have any questions, please get in touch with us and we will do our very best to accommodate you.
• The tasting will take place downstairs in the main tasting room, as part of the Cocoa Runners Craft Chocolate Fair. To enter the tasting, please join the second queue outside the building on the right hand side, without entering the fair, and leave time after the event to explore the craft chocolate market upstairs and meet makers from across the UK and beyond.
• For any questions, please email [email protected]

About the Cocoa Runners Craft Chocolate Fair 2025

For the third year running, Cocoa Runners are hosting their ever-popular Craft Chocolate Fair on the 11th and 12th October, 2025. Meet craft chocolate makers from across the UK and beyond at the indoor market, and join a series of talks, tastings and experiences in our beautiful tasting room. The events will take place at the Fidelio Cafe and Concert Venue in Farringdon, London from 10am-5pm.

Following the success of the past two Craft Chocolate Fairs and previous sold-out events at Canopy Market, this year’s Fair will see even more bean-to-bar chocolate makers bringing their chocolate to London, including Chocolarder, Friis Holm, Pump Street, Choco Del Sol, Bare Bones, Neary Nogs, Fjak and more.

Ticketed talks and tastings will take place across both days. Due to the popularity of previous years, we’ve now introduced free, pre-bookable tickets; they will guarantee you entry to the fair during your time slot without queuing.