S10: Building an ethical chocolate empire, with Angus Thirlwell, co-founder of Hotel Chocolat

As the son of the founder of Mr Whippy, perhaps Angus Thirlwell was always destined to build his own brand. But his path to success has not been without some hard won lessons and deep personal insight into his own motivation in life. Angus’s vision for Hotel Chocolat has always been to not only reimagine an industry, but also bring back core values and purpose into the confectionary market at a time when the heritage of chocolate was being lost in the UK. From innovative products and the best quality ingredients, to buying a plantation and reinvigorating cocoa farming in St Lucia, Hotel Chocolat stands out against the competition for all the right reasons.Angus shares his story and talks of how diversifying his product led to success and how putting customers at the heart of the business has helped to cement the status of a truly remarkable brand.Enjoying listening to these unfiltered chats? It's worth following Holly Tucker MBE and Holly & Co on Instagram, and subscribing to our weekly newsletter on our website, where Holly downloads her thoughts, and exclusively shares small business finds and topical, 'ungoogleable' business advice.