Harris & James

Harris & James is a family-run business based in Suffolk, specialising in artisan bean-to-bar chocolate, bakery products, gelato and coffee. Our award-winning chocolate is crafted by hand in small batches, using cacao sourced directly from growers and cooperatives. This commitment ensures both transparency and exceptional flavor. Only 1% of chocolate worldwide meets these high standards, and at Harris & James, we take pride in going the extra mile in everything we create.

Our History

Over twenty years ago, in the heart of Beccles, a market town on the Suffolk/Norfolk border, my parents, Richard and Amanda Harris-Godfrey, opened a café in a prominent Grade II listed building. Today, twenty-three years later, Twyfords Café continues to thrive, rooted in its commitment to quality produce and friendly service.

Twyfords Cafe Beccles

Building on a solid foundation, my father expanded into small-batch coffee bean roasting in 2013 under the name Harris & James, setting the stage for what was to come. In early 2015, my father and I attended an exhibition in Paris where we discovered the art of small-scale bean-to-bar chocolate making. After tasting the extraordinary chocolate produced there, we were inspired to create our own. Drawing on my father's experience with coffee roasting, we began processing cocoa beans to craft our first batch of chocolate. Delighted with the results, we decided to invest in becoming accredited chocolate makers. 

 

Our Chocolate Workshop

In 2015, we embarked on our chocolate-making journey at a small site in Suffolk, using a coffee roaster and a household wet grinder. Encouraged by our initial success, we introduced our chocolate range in three of our retail outlets in 2016.

To drive continual improvement and innovation, we plan each year with a focus on quality and uniqueness. From the start, our goal has been to offer exceptional chocolate, setting it apart from the mass-produced, sugar-laden varieties driven by large confectionery corporations.

Unlike most chocolate products, which are often packed with sugar, Harris & James takes a different approach. Our guiding principle is "More Quality Cacao, Less Sugar." We are committed to using high-quality cacao as our primary ingredient, even in our milk and white chocolates, and this commitment will never be compromised.