Chocolate makers retain commitment to Victorian Market in Inverness
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One of the attractions of the city centre in Inverness is its diverse range of specialist shops run by knowledgeable owners and staff.
Whatever you are looking for – anything from food and drink to musical instruments – you will be able to find just what you are looking for.
Colin Craig, the vice chairman of Inverness BID who runs Oil and Vinegar, said it was important for the city to have a wide variety of independent traders.
He said small businesses also supported each other and added: “Customers want to connect with local businesses and they want to see them thrive.
“We are fortunate to have such a variety of these businesses in the city centre and good quality local businesses.”
He said it had been good to see Story Chocolates, which was based in the Market Hall, relocating to the nearby Academy Street Arcade. “It shows commitment to the Victorian Market,” he added.
The business is run by husband and wife team Ingrid and Lucas Story and they had been in the Market Hall since 2002 after moving to the Highlands from their native Belgium.
When it was announced that the hall would be closed while it was renovated they decided to look for new premises.
Mr Story said they were planning to open in April but their plans had been put on hold because of the coronavirus lockdown.
They are now in their third week of trading and he said: “We started in the back of the Market Hall, at number 14, and stayed there for 18 years.
“Now, with the changes in the Market Hall, we decided to come to the new shop here.
“I think it is a good move and, for the moment, it’s going quite well and we hope it will continue.”
He said he felt it was a better location because they were now more visible to customers and the feedback had been good, with one of their regular customers saying to them, “you are back – we didn’t want to lose you”.
Mr Story felt, with all the safety measures in place, shoppers should feel safe to return to the city centre and said: “It’s quite good – I think it’s safer in here than in a supermarket.”
Both Mr and Mrs Story are trained chocolatiers after they attended evening classes over a two-year period in Belgium.
Mr Story said they both passed the course with scores of 94 per cent – making them the oldest students with the highest scores.
His wife had turned 50 and suggested they should move to Scotland as there were far fewer chocolate makers when compared with Belgium.
He said: “After six months our son needed to come over to help us because we were so successful – now he has started up his own business in Golspie.”
Mr Story said his wife made the products at their home in Munlochy, on the Black Isle, and he sold the goods in their city centre shop.
One of their popular specialities is Highland Whisky Chocolates which he described as “unique”.
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