Paul A. Young

18a Whitebridge Industrial Estate
Whitebridge Way, Stone, ST15 8LQ, Staffordshire, England
chocolateathomeinfo@gmail.com
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From London’s Chocolate Scene to a New Era of Education

For nearly two decades, Paul A. Young helped reshape Britain’s contemporary artisan chocolate scene with handmade chocolates, adventurous flavour combinations and an approach that encouraged people to think differently about what belonged with cacao.

His London boutiques may now be part of chocolate history, but Young’s career has entered another chapter.

Today, the award-winning British chocolatier is concentrating much of his work on Chocolate At Home, his chocolate school in Stone, Staffordshire. There, he has moved from producing chocolates for retail customers to sharing the techniques and knowledge accumulated throughout his career directly with students.

From Professional Kitchens to Chocolate

Young’s career began in professional kitchens rather than a traditional chocolate apprenticeship.

After training as a chef, he worked his way into pastry and eventually joined Marco Pierre White’s Criterion Brasserie in London in 1996. He later became head pastry chef for White at restaurants including Criterion and Quo Vadis.

Chocolate increasingly became the focus.

In 2006, Young opened his first dedicated chocolaterie in London. What followed was an 18-year retail business that eventually encompassed three London chocolate shops and established him as one of the recognisable personalities of modern British chocolate.

Challenging Expectations Through Flavour

Paul Young became particularly associated with flavour combinations that challenged conventional expectations of luxury chocolate.

One of his best-known creations was a sea-salted caramel, which received a gold award in 2005 and continued to earn recognition from the Academy of Chocolate and International Chocolate Awards.

But experimentation could go considerably further.

His creations have incorporated ingredients and ideas that ranged from traditional spices to distinctly British flavours. The infamous Marmite truffle became perhaps the clearest example of Young’s willingness to put an ingredient rarely associated with fine chocolate into a luxury confection.

The intention was not simply novelty. Contrasting salt, acidity, sweetness, bitterness and savoury characteristics became tools for exploring how chocolate could interact with other flavours.

Closing the London Chocolateries

A major transition came in July 2023, when Paul A. Young Fine Chocolates closed its London retail operation after 17 years.

The closure marked the end of the physical boutiques that had become closely associated with Young’s name, including locations in Soho, Islington and the Royal Exchange. Contemporary industry coverage confirmed the shops had closed permanently.

Young himself, however, did not leave chocolate.

Instead, the next stage of his career has increasingly focused on teaching, demonstrations, tastings, collaborations and events.

Chocolate At Home

That evolution is now represented by Chocolate At Home, Young’s chocolate school in Stone, Staffordshire.

The programme offers one-day and half-day masterclasses alongside shorter chocolate-making and tasting experiences. Classes are deliberately small: the intensive masterclasses can be taught one-to-one, to couples or to groups of no more than four participants.

Students work directly with Young on practical chocolate skills rather than simply watching demonstrations.

The school describes the experience as hands-on tuition, allowing Young to pass along techniques developed during more than two decades working professionally with chocolate.

Still Part of Britain’s Chocolate Conversation

Young also remains active beyond his own school. In September 2026, he taught artisan chocolate courses at the School of Artisan Food, including classes devoted to tempering, chocolate bars, bark and truffles. The school’s September 18 Introduction to Artisan Chocolate course was listed as sold out.

He also appeared at the Three Counties Food & Drink Festival in 2026 and continues to participate in tasting events and collaborations.

On September 20, 2026, for example, Young hosted a craft bean-to-bar chocolate and rum tasting at The Pot and Pineapple. Another event with novelist Joanne Harris is scheduled there for November 21, 2026.

These activities show that the closure of his shops represented a business transition rather than the end of his work as a chocolatier.

Passing Chocolate Knowledge Forward

Paul A. Young‘s career now tells two complementary stories. The first belongs to the London chocolatier who helped introduce British consumers to handmade chocolates, adventurous flavour pairings and a less conventional approach to luxury confectionery.

The second is still developing.

Through Chocolate At Home, professional courses, demonstrations and tasting events, Young is increasingly placing education at the centre of his work.

After years spent creating chocolates for customers, he is now giving chocolate enthusiasts something different: the opportunity to understand the craft well enough to create it themselves.