The Chocolate Shop

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Introduction
Issued in 2003 this is based on Romary House at 26 Church Road, Tunbridge Wells. Alfred Romary set up a family bakery here in 1862 which Queen Victoria visited in 1876. The Royal Warrant for hand made biscuits continued up until our present Queen. In 1963 baking moved to Glasgow, with a final batch for Prince Charles’ wedding in 1981.

The timber frame of local Sussex oak dates from the 1500s. This front wall was added in the 18th century. 

Artists such as E H Shepard, famous for Winnie the Pooh, designed special Romary tins particularly at Christmas time. This one shows The Pantiles of Royal Tunbridge Wells in the late Victorian period. 

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This spa with tree-lined and colonnaded shops grew up by a spring discovered in 1606. The Pantiles is named after clay paving gifted by Queen Anne in 1700 after her son fell in mud! It was replaced by stone slabs in 1800. 

Hazle Ceramics
Chocolate Shop
Open Edition
on Tunbridge Wells

UK/Europe £46.50
Rest of World £40.43

 Queen Victoria’s coat of arms on old woodcut.

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Chocolate History
Native to South America, 1100BC is the earliest known use of cacao seeds which are fermented, roasted and ground to bring out the flavour. An Aztec word for bitter water, chocolate came to Spain in 1528 after the conquest of Mexico. It was solely a drink until the first solid bar from Fry’s of England in 1847.

Chocolate is often a part of courtship. Its feelgood effect may be the result of raised serotonin. 

 Cocoa beans ripen on a cacao tree. Many are now grown on West Africa’s Ivory Coast. Today there is a trend towards fairly traded and organic cocoa.