A mum left her office job and started a new career after reading a book.
Bala Croman set up the Chocolate Cellar in New Ferry 18 years ago after reading the book 'Chocolat' by Joanne Harris. The book revolves around a woman who changes the lives of people in a village by selling chocolate.
Bala who had never made chocolate in her life decided to take up the craft. While she has followed her passion the road to success has not been easy.
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Bala, who traded commodities before taking the leap to make chocolate, is completely self-taught and started by making small bars of chocolate.
Bala told the ECHO: "I read the book and thought that it sounded amazing, so a found a company online that taught me how to make chocolate. I tried some out on friends and family but people kept saying they wanted to buy them.
"It was a case of doing a little bit at a time and then developing those skills. I would do simple bars of chocolate and some truffles. Now we have 80 truffles in our range, and chocolate pasta so it has just been taking it slowly. One step at a time."
"From there it grew and did farmers markets for a few years before I opened my first shop. We then started making these little hot chocolates and we could not sell them fast enough so we decided to open a hot chocolate cafe in Liverpool One."
However, while the move to L1 in 2009 was a dream come true, the venture became too expensive, and the shop was closed in 2012. Bala then started to sell her chocolate online before opening a shop in New Ferry five years ago.
Bala, 55, said: "It was a beautiful shop but as a manufacturing centre it was a big mistake so I took a big step back and started working from home again. Then we moved to New Ferry just before lockdown.
"So unfortunately we had to sell online and people had to come and make pick-ups from the door. It has been a journey with lots of ups and downs but we are still here."
While it may not be a quaint French village, Bala said since moving to Rock Ferry her chocolate has helped to put a "smile on people's faces".
The mum-of-two said: "I believe we have and if you speak to our customers I think they do as well. We have people who return to tell us how much they have enjoyed eating the chocolate or how they gifted it to someone else.
"Chocolate just puts a smile on people's faces, even just looking at it can have that effect. When someone tells me that my chocolate is the best they have ever had I feel so much pride in that. It is almost like someone is praising your child."
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