Willie Harcourt-Cooze

William "Willie" George Harcourt-Cooze is a British entrepreneur who came to public prominence in 2008 with the airing of the fly-on-the-wall documentary, "Willie's Wonky Chocolate Factory", centred around his efforts to be one of the first Britons since the Cadbury family to grow, import and produce their own chocolate. He lives in Tiverton, Devon with his wife Tania and three children - Sophia (nine), William (seven) and Eve (four). cite web
last = Goodhart
first = Benjie
title = Interview: Willie Harcourt-Cooze
work = News
publisher = Channel 4 Sales
date =
url = http://www.channel4sales.com/news/home?id=534] cite web
title = Willie's Wonky Chocolate Factory
publisher = Channel 4
url = http://www.channel4.com/food/on-tv/willies-wonky-chocolate-factory/] cite news
last = Weinberg
first = Kate
title = Willie's wacky chocolate factory
publisher = The Daily Telegraph
date = 23 February 2008
url = http://www.telegraph.co.uk/wine/main.jhtml?xml=/wine/2008/02/23/edwonka125.xml] [His children's ages are as of Telegraph article dated 23 February 2008] cite web
title = TM: a selection of Trade Marks and Brand Names registered in April 2007
work = Food Trade Review
publisher = Entrepreneur Magazine
date = August 2007
url = http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article/171295664_2.html]

Born to a half Burmese father who had fled Burma for Ireland during the Second World War and an Irish mother, the family settled in Ireland where they bought a 180 acre island. Rather than live on it, they farmed sheep and cattle on it, which would swim across the sea to reach the mainland. The family lived near the island, on the mainland, where they grew oats and wheat, kept goats and bees and cultivated a 120ft tunnel of vegetables, "We were all dressed in hand-me-downs, had overgrown hair and were constantly inventing ways to make money. It was very much The Good Life."

After leaving school and a succession of bar and club work, he considered following his father and becoming a property developer, when in 1996 he met model and actress Tania Coleridge, sold his house and they left England for Venezuela where they ran a small hotel, a restaurant and organised tourist walks through one of the national parks. They married, and whilst on honeymoon discovered, and later purchased, a convert|1000|acre|ha cocoa hacienda in Choroni. They planted more than 50,000 criollo cacao trees, the highest quality strain of cocoa and built up an eco-tourism venture before having to mothball it temporarily due to the political and economic climate. cite news
last = Wynn-Davies
first = Patricia
title = Me and My Home: At home with history
work = The Independent
publisher = findarticles.com
date = 17 March 2004
url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20040317/ai_n12773773]

Back in the UK, after several years of assembling suitable equipment, and the resumption of cocoa farming, he began production in 2007 in Uffculme, Devon. cite news
title = Documentory Follows Willie's Chocolate Quest
publisher = Express & Echo
date = 04 March 2008
url = http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=137199&command=displayContent&sourceNode=136986&contentPK=20049539&folderPk=79934&pNodeId=137002]

He produces three 100% cocoa varieties under the Venezuelan Black label - Hacienda El Tesoro which has berry fruit characteristics and is made from multiple varieties from his hacienda - El Tesoro (which translated, means 'Treasure'). Carenero Superior which has nut and spice characteristics and Rio Caribe Superior which has citrus characteristics are each made from high quality single variety beans sourced from other farms. The subtle flavour characteristics occur from the beans themselves, as no flavouring additives are used.

The cocoa bars are available from retail outlets Selfridges and Waitrose and direct via his website, as well as being supplied to Marco Pierre White's White Star Line restaurants.

ee also

*Tania Harcourt-Cooze

References & footnotes

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cite news
last = Dowling
first = Tim
title = Extreme measures
work = Food & Drink
publisher = The Guardian
date = 7 April 2007
url = http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/food/story/0,,2051785,00.html
#

External links

* cite web
title = Venezuelan Black
url = http://www.venezuelanblack.com/

Persondata
NAME = Harcourt-Cooze, William George
ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Harcourt-Cooze, Willie
SHORT DESCRIPTION = British entrepreneur who came to public prominence in 2008 with the airing of the fly-on-the-wall documentary, "Willie's Wonky Chocolate Factory", centred around his efforts to be one of the first Britain's since the Cadbury family to grow, import and produce their own chocolate.
DATE OF BIRTH =
PLACE OF BIRTH =
DATE OF DEATH =
PLACE OF DEATH =