Refuge Hot Chocolate (now Refuge Chocolate) has been fully operational since 2017 led by me; Chief Potion Maker Tara Mullan.

Not being a tea or coffee drinker I spent many years sampling the hot chocolate drinks throughout Ireland and beyond, never quite getting one that hit the taste buds of how I thought a hot chocolate should taste. Until a few years ago I went skiing in Andora and tasted something that hit the spot. It was strong, thick and had so much taste. More like melted chocolate than the expensive dish water I was often served in cafes.

This awakening must have been filed away in the depths of my brain and came to the fore when I was trying to come up with a solution to financially support an anti human trafficking charity I volunteer for; Flourish NI. I briefly tested several ideas of projects to raise finance for the charity. Until one day the name Refuge and hot chocolate literally dropped into my head. This is when I started experimenting with recipes I read about and ones I made up.

Once I got closer to what I thought was a good tasting drink I asked friends to test some and give me feedback. After this I had the recipe for the original chocolate and have been concocting chocolate product recipes ever since.