Run by a young couple who bravely started this ambitious small business during the lockdown in 2020, Bon Chocolatiers specialises in exquisite handmade Irish chocolates.
Georgia Quealy and Daniel Linehan met at college when training to become chefs and then went on to work with some of Ireland's top chefs, including Garrett Byrne at Campagne in Kilkenny and John Coffey of Thyme in Athlone. A shared passion for patisserie and chocolate then led them to attend courses with world renowned chocolatiers - and the result is a business that quickly gained recognition for its original and luxuriously delicious chocolates.
Sold online as gift boxes, their sumptuous creations are also supplied to some carefully selected restaurants and hotels - and, at certain seasons, they're available through some partnering local businesses too, including Daniel's family's delightful Athlone café, Beans and Leaves.
Using the very best ingredients is key to everything that Georgia and Daniel do at Bon Chocolatiers. The foundation is ethically sourced chocolate from France and Switzerland and they use as many local and Irish producers as possible, including Irish butter and cream of course ("Irish dairy - the best in the world!"). They enjoy foraging local berries in season and include some special products that make all the difference in particular chocolates. Irish mint sourced from O’Hanlon Herbs in Glenealy Co Wicklow, for example, is key to their Irish Mint Ganache ('a velvety milk chocolate ganache infused with Irish mint'), while Oriel sea salt - an EU Protected Designation of Origin product from Co Louth - is the not-so-secret ingredient in Chocolate Caramel & Pretzel ('smooth chocolate caramel balanced by a pretzel crunch enhanced with a touch of Oriel Irish sea salt').
Their elegantly packaged Signature Collection box (four each of Blackberry & Vanilla, Sea Salted Caramel, Hazelnut & Milk Chocolate, Single Origin Ganache) makes a beautiful gift at any time and they've already got a name for some seasonal specialities, including their trademark triple layer Easter eggs - notably the amazing 24ct gold Hazelnut Rocher Egg ('best Easter egg ever...')
Followers of Neven Maguire's Greenway Food Trails may have spotted Bon on RTE1 recently, as it featured in The Royal Canal Greenway episode - and, athough their Athlone premises is currently a production kitchen only and not a shop, they do plan to open for retail at some stage. Meanwhile the online shop is operating very efficiently, which is just what's needed for a gift service.
