The 1675 Chocolate House located on Branthwaite Brow in Kendal is an internationally renowned chocolate haven. It is an historic shop that dates from the 1630s and is home to over 100 luxury chocolates and an impressive hot chocolate menu.
The Chocalate Shop is located downstairs and offers a large selection of loose chocolates and chocolate gifts.
On the ground floor there is a Traditional Tea Room that offers 16 specialty hot chocolates and hand made Gateaux, all named from the 1600’s and unique to the 1657 Chocolate House.
They also offer light lunches and large selection of savoury snacks that can be enjoyed in their friendly & comfortable surroundings.
The following information is from the 1657 Chocolate House website.
"Our 1657 Chocolate House in Kendal, Cumbria is believed to have been built in the 1630’s, originally as a private home in Kendal.
Long before it became a Lake District tourist attraction in 1984 the Chocolate House, now in it's 30th year has been a bakery, antiques shop, travel agents and a ladies fashion shop.
As many of our English traditions are fast disappearing, we are committed to retaining a few of the best from the 1600’s.
Our 16 speciality chocolate drinks and dishes have names from that era, such as the well-known Nell Gwynne - one of Charles II’s mistresses...
Chocolate House Menu: (
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No wonder chocolate is said to have aphrodisiac properties. Now you can send or receive our luxury chocolates and gifts by post via our online ordering facility all carefully packed by our dedicated staff.
It is also important to us you learn about chocolate. That's why we've made a step by step story board guide and a short film showing how our luxury chocolate is made as well as information on the business all to enjoy over a hot chocolate or light lunch....go on treat yourself!
Our luxury chocolates continue to attract chocoholics and corporate clients from over 40 countries taking advantage of our 100 different kinds of loose chocolates and our ability to offer personalised chocolates and gift boxes....follow link for more details. Being a chocolate retailer we aim to offer something different and guarantee a quality product time after time.
Their building & business can be seen on Youtube at the following link:" (
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Facilities
Coach parties accepted
Credit cards accepted (no fee)
Education/study area
Gift shop
On-site catering
On-site light refreshments
Regional Tourist Board Member
Children welcome
Smoking not allowed
Address
54 Branthwaite Brow,
Kendal,
Cumbria,
LA9 4TX
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The article written by Gillian Cowburn appeared in the Westmorland Gazette on 8th October 2004.
It describes how the 1657 Chocolate Shop changed owners. The report reads as follows;
"Georgina Townsend had heard that The Famous 1657 Chocolate House' was closing within days and so despatched husband Christopher to buy some chocolates before its unfortunate demise.
"It was Thursday and the shop was closing on the Saturday," recalled Christopher, who hadn't been in before. "I walked through the door and immediately thought this cannot close."
Joy had opened 1657 in the late eighties, naming her new business after the country's first chocolate shop which was unveiled in London's Bishopsgate that year. Her enthusiasm for the subject was second to none; happy to claim addiction she would tell people: "Some people take heroin, I eat chocolate."
At first it was just Joy, husband Brian, and a couple of part-timers behind the counter, but business boomed to such an extent that 1657 went on to employ a small army to man the chocolate shop downstairs and the caf upstairs selling chocolate drinks and mouth-watering gateaux.
Exquisite chocolates, such historic premises, and the mob-caps and period costume worn by staff, earned 1657 an enviable reputation at home and abroad.
They made quite an impression on Christopher Townsend too when he called in to make that fateful purchase for his wife.
Originally from Berkshire, he met his Kendal-born wife in Hong Kong - Christopher ran a freight business and built exhibition stands; she was social secretary for the island's governor.
Returning to England, the couple eventually settled in Hampshire. But a conversation four years ago about where to spend "the last stretch" of their lives prompted a dash north to the Lake District home for Georgina, and fond holiday memories for Christopher.
"I gave myself three years to find a business up here," said Christopher who, when he set eyes on 1657, knew he'd found what he was looking for. Within three weeks the dotted line had been signed but only after making two very important phone calls.
"I rang Lynne Skellern. Twenty years ago she was nanny for our two girls, Alexandra and Rosanna. She is a real family friend and has a lot of different skills. I wanted her to run 1657. She is someone I can trust and she is a Kendalian."
Christopher also consulted his elder daughter Alexandra for, as well as doing a business degree at Oxford Brookes, last Christmas she'd had a holiday job on the chocolate counter at Fortnum and Mason. Alexandra heartily approved of dad's plans.
One other factor persuaded Christopher to take on 1657 - poring over Brian Moore's journal' which gave a detailed account of daily life at The Famous 1657 Chocolate House.
"It gave me comfort, that this was real," said Christopher.
Within three weeks of closure, 1657 had re-opened with a new team, one littered with so many Lynnes' that there could have been confusion were it not for some quick thinking on Christopher's part.
Chocolate in Charge' is Lynne Skellern; Chocolate Lynne' aka Lynne Humphreys, looks after the chocolate shop; and as her name suggests Kitchen Lyn' (Lyn Thwaites) is responsible for the culinary arrangements in the upstairs cafe.
The business employs some 20 full and part-time people and there's a waiting list as long as your arm of young girls wanting to don the mob-cap on Saturdays and in school holidays.
To date, Christopher and the Chocolate in Charge have made few changes to the fabric of 1657.
"Damage the feel of the place at your peril," mused Christopher who, not satisfied with buying the business, is now focusing on developing it in different ways "growing the brand" by getting 1657 into more local hotels and restaurants; for corporate gifts, weddings, and social events. Mail order for "made-to-measure" chocolates is another idea in the pipeline; chocolate fondues for select gatherings; children's parties another possibility; as are school visits; and bagging a place on the exclusive WI speaker circuit.
"Trying to improve all the time," said Christopher.
To this end Lynne and the catering team have adapted the menu to cater for today's wide range of dietary requirements gluten-free being an extremely popular one; sorbets for lactose-intolerant, for example; and diabetic ice cream.
Meanwhile, there's the small matter of a mountain Having worked previously at Kendal's tourist information centre, Lynne Skellern knows the importance to Kendal of the Mountain Film Festival which annually attracts thousands of visitors.
The plan is to build' a chocolate K2 and ask people to guess its weight. The winner will receive that weight in chocolates.
"We thought it would be appropriate as it's the 50th anniversary of the conquest of K2, the second highest mountain in the world," said Lynne.
Like everyone at 1657, Lynne loves chocolate, so does Christopher. And they are loving learning about it and sharing their new-found knowledge.
"There's definitely something about chocolate, the feel-good factor, something to do with escaping for people, having a real treat," suggested Christopher.
A speciality chocolate drink perhaps the Original Aztec Experience' with five-spice chocolate finished with cream and cinnamon; English Lakes Death by Chocolate' ice cream topped with hot melting chocolate; a slice of hand-made Merry Monarch' gateaux with dark chocolate, cherries, cream and brandy; or a gift-wrapped box of some of the best chocolates in the world from Britain too, as well as Belgium and Switzerland.
It's chocolate heaven right here on our doorsteps."