Chocolate lollies stand guard aloft bars arranged like bullion.

Welcome to chocoholics’ heaven! Billed as York’s newest attraction, Chocolate – York’s Sweet Story unfolds in a three-storey former toy shop at the heart of the city, some distance from the confectionery factories which brought York its sweet success– the likes of Cravens, Rowntrees and Terry’s, some of the treat-makers we learned about on our intriguing journey through York’s chocolate-coated past.

Heading towards the lift – disappointingly it wasn’t glass and without an Oompa Loompa in sight – we gathered in a cool darkened room around a circular table with a glass centrepiece neatly stacked with tempting square samples of chocolate.

Before tasting, our helpful guide explained the origins of chocolate and how it came to be, telling us cocoa is a highly concentrated food supplying the body with carbohydrates, protein, essential fat and minerals.

We already know chocolate is a feelgood food. Theobromine – a word our guide told us he would test us on later in the tour – and tryptophan are ingredients which excite and stimulate the senses.

With that in mind, we snapped our sample in two, placing one half on our tongues and pinching our noses to really savour the flavour.

Intriguing indeed, but the mystery around the origin of chocolate makes it all the more so. Renowned as the ‘food of the Gods,’ chocolate has a special place in our hearts as a gift to express gratitude. Chocolate is a personal pick-me-up, a feel-good therapy or an anytime treat.

Our appreciation of chocolate deepened as the history of cocoa from plant to bar was played out. The tot of chocolate liquid with a chilli kick distributed during our viewing had a bitter taste compared to the sweet chunk we’d devoured before.

In its rawest form, chocolate is created from the beans or seeds of the cocoa tree, a native plant of the Central and South American rainforests.

Long before it became affordable and available to the mass market, chocolate, like tea, was deemed a luxury.

York’s chocolate association stems from the Chocolate Houses which sprang up in London around the 17th century. Spreading out along trade routes, this sweet commodity found its way to York, where we pick up the story in the next destination on our chocolate tour.

Notable characters associated with the city’s sweet success ‘speak out’ from animated photographs adorning the walls. For youngsters, it is a very clever way of uniting the present with the past.

My six-year-old was intrigued, and it added to the interest in what is already a fascinating subject, especially for young fans of Roald Dahl’s fictional favourite, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, where you’ll find the aforementioned Oompa Loompas.

Our guide explained how the Quaker movement played an integral part in the early chapters of York’s chocolate heritage. By association, the Rowntrees and the Tukes were linked to the Quakers, and caring for the welfare of workers’ and the community was very much part of the company ethos – a legacy which lives on through Rowntrees’ charitable trusts.

Then there was Mary Craven, a feisty widow who was thrust into running her late father’s confectionery business turning out toffees and humbugs to provide for her brood. The tall wooden chair Mary sat on to survey her workplace has been kindly donated to the Chocolate experience.

Mary Tuke was another feisty female who battled to set up her grocery business which would, having passed through generations of her family, eventually be absorbed into the Rowntree empire, creating fruit pastilles and the famous Elect Cocoa in 1887.

Rowntrees was bought by Nestle in 1988 and still manufactures in the city. Its global confectionery product technology centre (the PTC), based in York, influences the taste in confectionery around the world.

Joseph Terry’s apothecary apprenticeship is said to have stood him in good stead for his confectionery career.

Following his death in 1850, his sons Joseph junior, John and Robert established the world famous Joseph Terry & Sons. Generations were involved in the business, with Sir Joseph Terry’s grandson Noel introducing classics such as the Chocolate Orange and Terry’s All Gold. The brand is now owned by Kraft.

After meeting the notable confectioners we were given a taste of their success when our guide brandished a bowl of sweet treats which we devoured en route to try our hand at creating our own in the virtual chocolate factory.

Katy loved turning the metal wheel to ‘virtually’ roast, crush and mix the beans to a liquid. Touch-screen technology enabled her to create her own chocolate box design and e-mail it home.

Watching the confectioner create some sweet treats dusted with gold was a mouth-watering experience, and we even had the chance to try the finished chocolates.

On the way out we passed the Chocolate Bar, where you can feast yours eyes on or buy from a range of chocolate products in bars, lollies or boxes. A small seating area provides a place where you can savour chocolate drinks and treats while you wait for the tour or before you leave.

In addition to the chocolate gifts, we took away a greater understanding and appreciation of those whose determination led to the creation of the iconic brands we know today and, hailing from this wonderful county, it also made us proud that Yorkshire was the seat of such sweet success.

Factfile

* Chocolate – York’s Sweet Story, is based in King’s Square, York, YO1 7LD. For more information, visit yorkssweetstory.com or call 0845 4989411.