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To celebrate Easter, staff and residents at Barchester’s Brampton View care home in Northampton were treated to a mouth-watering virtual talk and tour of their wonderful chocolate café and factory from Hadyn and Trinity from Harrogate Skills 4 Living, a charity that provides care, support, accommodation and employment for people with learning disabilities and autism.

Trinity and Hadyn took residents on a fantastic journey through the history of Harrogate Skills 4 Living and how the Harrogate Chocolate Factory and Café social enterprises came about. They talked residents through the seven stages of the bean to bar chocolate making process and talked about how Harrogate itself and its iconic buildings helped to shape the brand and the packaging of the products. ,

Hadyn said: “It was an absolute pleasure to be able to share the story of the Harrogate Skills 4 Living initiative with the Barchester residents and hear all their reminiscences about the different chocolates and flavours they have enjoyed over the years. We were so pleased to be able to tell them all about the work we do here.”

Bex Vernon, Resident Experience Executive for Barchester Healthcare, commented: “We are excited to work with our amazing partners like Harrogate Skills 4 Living to bring a wide range of fantastic experiences into our homes for all to enjoy. It was great to see the residents all enjoying the talk and finding out so much about the social enterprises and chocolate making process.

Whilst participating in the virtual talk residents from the home were treated to a variety of chocolate to taste test and photographs of chocolate wrappers from throughout the years to guess which brand it belongs to. They also enjoyed a melted chocolate dipping pot with various items to smother in chocolate including brownies and marshmallows!

“Our varied life enrichment programme keeps residents active and socially connected, providing a daily choice of engaging physical, mental and spiritual activities tailored to residents’ interests and abilities,” Bex added.

General Manager, Mo Masedi said: “This was such an interesting session, it was brilliant that our residents were able to learn so much about the brilliant work Harrogate Skills 4 Living does. It was a really enjoyable afternoon, we’re so grateful to Hadyn and Trinity for sharing all their fascinating chocolate facts with us!”

Care home residents enjoy chocolate factory tour