Fusion Chocolate in Ilkley is T&A Trader of the Week

Luxury artisan chocolatier Paula Bui from Ilkley tells us more about her business:

I create totally bespoke luxurious gift boxes and indulgent chocolate treats. Made from high quality couverture chocolate, each of my pieces is lovingly handmade and filled with a selection of decadent and delicious fillings including ganaches, caramels, pate de fruit, to name a few.

I hand-paint all my chocolates with naturally derived organic cocoa butter using a combination of brushes, sponges, splashes and even a spray gun, and my pieces are well-known for their vibrant designs in a rainbow range of different patterns and styles.

Paula at work in her chocolate making workshop (Image: Fusion Chocolate)

In addition to my signature collections, available in boxes of 12, 16 or 24, I create special seasonal designs and have just produced tennis-inspired treats in pimms, strawberries and balsamic flavours.

I also create bespoke vegan and boozy ranges, as well as fulfilling corporate orders in specific brand designs and colours which make the perfect client or employee gifts.

Paula's chocolates come in a variety of designs (Image: Fusion Chocolate)

How did the business come about?

Fusion Chocolate is a relatively new business and it’s fair to say that chocolate making didn’t feature in my career path at all.

I worked in the field of healthcare and ran my own physiotherapy business treating the elderly in their own homes.

I moved from York to Ilkley in 2012 and my chocolate adventure began whilst helping my husband in the Vietnamese restaurant we owned and ran in Ilkley at the time, called Bistro Saigon.

During the COVID lockdowns and the closure of the restaurant, he took on private chef work and, because I’ve always been a lifetime lover of all things chocolatey, I offered to help him make some luxury chocolates for his guests as he was struggling for time.

I’m proud to say that my chocolates were a resounding success and the guests loved them! To me, this lit the fire of an idea about pursuing a chocolatier dream and marked the first step towards a new career.

In September 2021, I participated in a two-day chocolate making and tempering course in Manchester aimed at hobbyists and people opening their own business which I found really exciting and inspiring and I started to make chocolates at home in my kitchen for friends and family, as well as my husband’s clients.

In December of the same year, I had an opportunity to take a stall at Addingham Christmas Fair to promote my husband’s private dining and I had some of my chocolates with me, which very quickly sold out.

I realised that there was a demand for them so I decided to take the next step and Fusion Chocolate was officially established in January 2022 with ‘fusion’ referring to the fusion of flavours and colours.

The chocolates are in a range of colours (Image: Fusion Chocolate)

After several more intensive studies, including a course with chocolatier Kalle Jungstedt in Sweden and a course with the late Queen Mother’s private chef, I felt that I was completely up to speed with the medium of chocolate and had mastered the art of tempering, moulding and decorating, as well as the technical skill of pairing flavours.

I won a lucrative contract with Rudding Park to provide VIP Gift Boxes, which is still ongoing, and in July 2022 I moved chocolate manufacturing from my kitchen at home to a dedicated chocolate workshop in town.

The bespoke chocolates make ideal gifts (Image: Fusion Chocolate)

At this time, chocolate making was still a bit of a side-hustle but in September 2022, I decided to give up the physiotherapy business to focus completely on the chocolate and in Easter this year I realised my dream of owning my own shop when I opened Fusion Chocolate in Ilkley.

I still have my separate workshop in town where I continue to manufacture all my chocolates and I sell them online via my website or at my shop.

I absolutely love what I do and remain passionate about developing my ranges and experimenting with new flavour combinations and new designs.

And I’m delighted to have recently been awarded a prestigious Great Taste Award 2024 for my Yuzu & Black Sesame bonbon with the judges commenting: “Very attractive little bonbons, this chocolate is delicious, we loved the yuzu - it pinged all around our mouths - then the warm, nutty sesame tones came into play and complemented the citrus.

“This is a very clever combination and well composed. Delicious!”

I strongly believe that everyone should have the opportunity to experience luxury artisan chocolates in their lifetime.

I had a recent lovely customer review which said: “My husband and I scoffed your box of chocs in one go, and the world was suddenly a happier place” and this sums it up for me.

* Fusion Chocolate, Leeds Road, Ilkley. Email paula@fusionchocolate.co.uk or visit fusionchocolate.co.uk