YORK’S chocolate fans had a chance to make their own during a series of workshops at the York Food & Drink Festival.

Sophie Jewett, owner of the York Cocoa House, has delivered many of the classes at her shop on Blake Street and yesterday also saw a chocolate making demonstration in St Sampson’s Square.

Ms Jewett said: “We were grinding the cocoa beans and making them into chocolate. It was an interactive demonstration, so people could try it themselves.”

Among the workshops have been chocolate lollipop-making, truffle-making and the Cocoa Bean to Chocolate Bar workshop, which looks at the journey and history of chocolate - including its use as currency by some South American civilizations.

Ms Jewett launched the café and chocolate shop York Cocoa House in 2011, and since then has held a string of chocolate workshops and tastings.

The York Cocoa House workshops and seminars will continue throughout the rest of the festival, with opportunities to craft and temper chocolate models and design a chocolate bar.

York’s chocolate heritage has been a major feature of this year’s festival, and it’s a theme that will continue this weekend with the Chocolate City Chocolate Fair at the York Guildhall.

This final weekend of the Festival will see a range of local chocolatiers, fudge makers and cake bakes in the Guildhall. There will be special events, tastings, workshops and activities on all weekend.

As well as chocolate workshops, yesterday also saw sold-out cookery classes from the restaurant El Piano, with classes in how to cook gluten-free and sugar-free, more cookery classes for the restaurant Nineteen, an Italian wine tasting and the children of Poppleton Ousebank Primary School, who took to the stage and provided musical accompaniment in the festival bar.

To find out more about the festival events, and to book tickets, visit www.yorkfoodfestival.com