Artisan chocolatier Rococo will open in bigger and better premises within the heart of Chester city centre next week.

Rococo Chocolates will relaunch from 118 Northgate Street on Wednesday (May 31) after moving from the front of The Grosvenor hotel in Eastgate Street.

The new store will have an even wider selection of delectable handmade chocolates, artisan bars, chocolate figurines and gift boxes.

Rococo has moved from its old home at The Chester Grosvenor hotel

And the larger store will feature a café and garden terrace where customers can meet friends and enjoy award-winning hot chocolate and freshly made barista coffee from local roasters Adams + Russell Coffee Roasters.

The new shop will also feature a ‘Chocolate Classroom’, which will host workshops and tastings for all kinds of groups, events and occasions from children’s birthdays, to corporate team building to ‘sophisticated’ hen parties.

Manager Peter Kubica said: “I’m really excited about the possibilities that this new location will bring. Not only will we continue to be the only chocolate shop in Chester selling award winning handmade chocolates, but now we have social and learning spaces where our customers can really indulge in their passion for all things chocolate!”

The company was founded by ‘first lady of chocolate’, Chantal Coady, more than 34 years ago, who in 2014 was awarded an OBE in the Queens Birthday Honours for services to chocolate, recognising her long and ground-breaking career.

Rococo Chocolates founder Chantal Coady OBE

Chantal commented: “I’m thrilled to see Rococo Chester, which is our only store outside of London, really blossom and offer so much to chocolate fans from Chester and beyond.

“Peter Kubica, our effervescent and irrepressible manager, has put together a great team who have huge enthusiasm and chocolate knowledge and understand that superb customer service is as important as providing a wonderful product; they are amazing ambassadors and I am so proud of them all!”

VIP guests will be invited to attend an evening party at the new store hosted by Chantal and her husband James Booth on June 8.

Assistant manager Dan Mitchell added: “There are some amazing changes going on in Chester at the moment, with all sorts of investments and improvements being made to our city.

"Our move to this great new location puts us at the very heart of the newly revived Northgate Quarter, opposite Chester’s wonderful new arts centre, Storyhouse .”

The Grosvenor hotel has returned its Brasserie back to how it used to be following the departure of Rococo.