Our Story

Sandra trained as a baker and pastry chef for four years, two years at Motherwell College near Glasgow and two years at Thomas Danby College in Leeds.

She spent many years honing her skills and learning further from her mentors. Her passion would lead her to a lecturing position at Motherwell College where she fell in love working with chocolate.

By now a mum, the pressures of single parenthood resulted in a career change. She became a carer and support worker for teenagers and young adults with autism and other special needs. Whilst teaching her clients independent living skills, Sandra incorporated baking and chocolate making as a means to better their concentration and coordination in a fun way. This was always the highlight of the week for them and their families. 

Decades later, after moving to the south of England, the siren call of chocolate brought her back to her great love and she opened a chocolate shop in Pagham, West Sussex, UK.

After meeting and marrying the local publican, they returned three years later to his home country of New Zealand. She worked as a private carer for three years and would also make chocolates for friends and family. The cost of chocolate in NZ is three times that of the UK, so Sandra decided to start making her own. Several years of experimenting, researching, perfecting recipes in the rolling hills of Waimauku and The Chocolate Room was born.

Sandra’s husband, by now an avid beekeeper, assisted with developing her signature honey-based chocolate (mostly by supplying honey and tasting).