Luisa’s Vegan Chocolates is making award-winning treats in Sneinton Market
We speak to the Nottingham chocolate maker about delicious taste, ethics, and creating in the city...
When eating a bar of chocolate, you likely don’t think about where it’s come from or how it’s made — but Luisa’s Vegan Chocolates might just change your mind on the importance of these aspects.
I spoke with the founder, Luisa Vicinanza-Bedi, about her business, why working with farmers is key to her success, and the beauty of quality chocolate. I also headed down to the Sneinton Market shop to delve into the process of her bean-to-bar chocolate making.
If you’re looking for chocolate shops around Nottingham or things to do like workshops, Luisa’s Vegan Chocolates is a brilliant place to discover. For more local interviews and guides, subscribe to The Notts Edit to receive our articles in your inbox for free.
“It’s truly magical and magnificent to turn beans into finished chocolate” — Luisa’s Vegan Chocolates on making delicious and ethical treats
By Eve Smallman
Photos courtesy of Luisa’s Vegan Chocolates
There’s nothing that feels more like a treat than chocolate. The unwrapping of the bar. The click of the chocolate breaking. That first bite. Mmm — smooth, chocolatey bliss. Before visiting Luisa’s Vegan Chocolates, I had no idea how good — and important — this experience could be.
But with my hair net on and my apron tied around my waist, I was ready to learn.
In its bigger premises in Sneinton Market, Luisa’s Vegan Chocolates makes bean-to-bar chocolate from scratch. There are just over 50 companies that do this in the UK. Luisa’s is the only one in Nottingham, and one of just a few in the wider Midlands area.
“I love working from the bean — that’s where the magic begins,” shares Luisa Vicinanza-Bedi, founder of Luisa’s Vegan Chocolates. “It means I have complete control over flavour, texture, and ethics.”
Luisa prides herself on being a chocolate maker (someone who crafts from scratch) rather than a chocolatier (who works with chocolate that’s already been made). “It’s hands-on, technical, and creative all at once. I’m still in awe every time I see the transformation from bean to silky chocolate,” Luisa explains. “It’s a beautiful process — I can use just three ingredients, I can bend and control every aspect of my production, and I never cut corners.”
She fell in love with the art of chocolate making in 2017, after seeking out quality chocolate for chocolate and date balls while being a teacher. “I was lucky enough to come across my now business partner Martyn [O’Dare], who had been making chocolate for big companies all his working life,” Luisa says. “I helped with the washing up and was slowly given responsibility for cacao bean roasting, then eventually the whole amazing process.”
After lots of experimenting, Luisa was inspired to open her own chocolate workshop and shop in Sneinton Market in 2018. Fast forward to winning over 25 awards and moving into bigger premises with the market, and Luisa’s Vegan Chocolates has certainly gone from strength to strength.
I’m sitting in the workshop with a bunch of chocolate enthusiasts, which is just past the shopfront. We’re doing the ultimate bean-to-bar experience, with Luisa leading us through a journey of cocoa, and showing us her chocolate, along with how it is made.
Laid out in front of us are different chocolate bars, which we’re talked through as we taste. I’m absolutely amazed at how the tasting notes vary from zesty and fresh to fruity and rich, just from the chocolate alone — no extra flavourings whatsoever. Luisa says, “Each origin has its own unique notes, like wine or coffee — Solomon Islands cacao tastes different from Colombian cacao, and I love coaxing out those natural flavours.”
She continues, “Each bean needs to be roasted at different temperatures to bring out the unique flavours of the beans.” This is hours of intense work, even before it’s moulded into truffles and bars.
We’re shown how the beans get roasted, winnowed, and spun for three days to reach the perfect level of smoothness. “It’s truly magical and magnificent to turn beans into finished chocolate — and even better when you’ve personally visited the farm and met the farmers,” she explains.
For Luisa, having a relationship with the farmers who grow the cocoa beans is ‘fundamental.’ She tells me, “When I visit farms and see the faces behind the beans, it reminds me why this matters. These relationships go beyond transactions — they’re partnerships built on trust, equality, and shared passion.”
Luisa’s Vegan Chocolates also pays up to 69% more than standard and even Fairtrade prices. “When farmers are paid fairly, they can invest in their farms, educate their children, and focus on quality,” she explains. “It’s not just ethical — it’s what makes our chocolate taste so good. You can taste the care and respect in every bean.” I can also see the care and respect Luisa has for the beans herself, with her holding each one carefully and having a smile on her face.
And it’s all proven in the taste. I sample a block of dark chocolate from a popular brand (clue: it was in a red wrapper), which contained 57.5% sugar, along with 20% cocoa butter, 20% cocoa mass, 2% palm oil, and other additives. It’s chocolate, but it sure is sweet.
Then, I took a bite of Luisa’s Solomon Islands 75% cacao bar, which contains 65% cocoa mass, 10% cocoa butter, and 25% unrefined sugar. Even without seeing the obvious difference in numbers, the gorgeous and colourful taste shines through. “Honestly, every time someone tastes our chocolate and says, ‘Wow, I’ve never had anything like this before,’ is a real highlight,” she shares. I definitely did this.
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Another highlight was collaborating with researchers from the University of Nottingham to study fermentation and support farmers with science. The project aimed to help farmers get a better flavour — and therefore price — from their beans, analysing the microbes fermenting cocoa beans, and manipulating fermentation for an improved taste.
But one of the best parts of it all for Luisa is working with her daughter, Isabella, who manages all the social media and marketing. “She decided not to go to university despite having A* in A level and did all her training on the job in the company — she even taught herself to use Illustrator to create our labels,” Luisa shares.
She continues, “Working together as a mother-daughter team makes it feel like more than a business. It’s our shared passion. We balance each other, I’m the maker and she’s the creative organiser who keeps everything running smoothly.”
Surrounding yourself with other knowledgeable people and businesses is one of the best ways to keep growing — and in the creative hub of Sneinton Market, Luisa has plenty around her. Breadmill Bakery uses Luisa’s chocolate in cardamom buns, while Neon Raptor uses its cocoa shells in its Bigfoot Expert stout. She says, ‘I’m always inspired by people who make things with purpose, who care about sustainability, flavour and craft, and don’t cut corners to make the very best products.”
In terms of the future, Luisa’s Vegan Chocolates is currently developing its more plant-based “better-than-milk” chocolates like its Casholate and Hazolate bars. “We’ve also been working on a new Tigernut mlk, which is completely nut and dairy free. It’s always hard to think about investing in growth as it’s such a gamble,” Luisa explains. As well as this, they’re exploring new origin projects and continuing workshops in Nottingham.
Seeing how much thought and care goes into creating chocolates like Luisa’s completely changed my viewpoint on how I see and how I eat chocolate. Once I’ve removed my hair net and apron, I scoop up some bars to take home with me, and I’m already planning future presents. I’m even finishing writing this article with a bar of Luisa’s Sicilian orange 75% Solomon Islands (Great Taste award-winning, too).
Luisa finishes by saying, “When you come into our makery, it’s more than a shop — it’s our chocolate home and heaven, and you’re sharing an experience with us.”
luisasveganchocolates.co.uk
@luisasveganchocolates
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