INDUSTRY experts have had their first look around York’s new chocolate factory as it starts to take shape - before it opens its doors to residents today.

The £750,000 York Cocoa Works in Castlegate is set to open fully to the public by the spring but chocolate industry professionals were invited to a preview yesterday.

The work is being carried out by Evora Construction, which will transform the building, a former Job Centre Plus, into a chocolate production, chocolate academy and chocolate development centre.

Building works are still underway but a series of rooms have now been created and managing director Sophie Jewett took the visitors on a guided tour to show the different rooms where the beans will be stored, roasted, winnowed, refined and ‘conched’ before the chocolate is created.

She showed how customers would be able to see the production process through windows, some straight inside from the street.

She also demonstrated the area which will comprise the York Cocoa Academy where educational activities for schoolchildren and adults will be staged.

And she spoke about ethical issues such as the sourcing, sustainability and traceability of cocoa and other ingredients, as well as supply chain challenges and export opportunities.

She said York people could take part in similar tours through this weekend as part of the Residents' Festival, with visits taking place on an hourly basis on both days.

Residents wanting to visit need to book their place by going to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/york-cocoa-works-mid-project-pre-view-tickets-41190269204.

York Cocoa Works will supply chocolate for operations at York Cocoa House across the city centre in Blake Street, as well as other chocolatiers across the city and beyond.

Its creation marks a return of traditional chocolate making to the city centre, which has not had its own cocoa bean roasting and grinding processes since the closure of Craven’s Ebor Confectionery works in Coppergate in the 1960s.