Meet the Makers Mini Interview: Roxy's Chocolate
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Mini Interview: Roxy’s Chocolate
Rachel and Ken, co-founders of Roxy’s Chocolate, an artisan chocolaterie based in Victoria, are passionate about crafting bars that celebrate pure ingredients and bold flavours. What began as a kitchen experiment in the early days of the pandemic has grown into a thriving small business! 🍫 We sat down with them to learn more about their journey, what inspires them, and how they’re bringing joy—one bar at a time.
1. Share your story with us in 150 words or less.
We began learning chocolate making in 2020, inspired by the exceptional taste of craft chocolate from around the world, which was so different and much yummier than industrial chocolate. When COVID hit, we had time to experiment, buying small equipment and making chocolate in our kitchen. Over two years, we mastered every step—sourcing ingredients, testing packaging, and perfecting recipes—while friends and family happily sampled batch after batch. When our two most trusted tasters gave a WOW response, we knew we were ready to launch with just one chocolate bar. Despite the challenges of starting a new business, the journey has been incredibly rewarding, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to share our chocolate with the world.
2. Getting from an idea to a small business is a lot of work! When did it first sink in for you that ‘this is really happening’?
We received positive feedback at farmers markets and slowly built up a wholesale base of customers, but it really didn’t sink in that “this is happening!” until about one year after launch when retail stores started contacting us, wanting to carry our chocolate. Then we knew that we had a good thing going.
3. Out of all your products, which is your personal favourite and why?
Rachel loves our 75% Island Sea Salt bar, where just a touch of salt from Vancouver Island Salt Co. brings out the chocolate’s flavour and hints of berry beneath. Ken’s favourite is the 75% Americano, made with coffee from Fernwood Coffee in Victoria. The chocolate and coffee blend together beautifully, creating a rich, comforting taste that’s as satisfying as it is simple.
4. What motivates you on a day-to-day basis?
We love that our chocolate allows us to put something truly good into the world — crafting bars with amazing ingredients and none of the “ick” stuff like additives, preservatives, or artificial flavours. There’s nothing quite like seeing someone’s face light up at a farmers market when they taste our chocolate for the first time. Moments like that make all the late nights and careful attention to every detail completely worth it, and remind us why we fell in love with chocolate-making in the first place.
5. What’s your favourite thing about the town or city you live in?
Living in Victoria, BC, it’s hard to choose just one thing, but we’d pick nature. Everywhere we go, we’re surrounded by forests, ocean, and mountains, and wildlife appears at every turn, from peacocks and hummingbirds to deer, eagles, owls, seals, and otters. We love the rhythm of this place, where vibrant urban life sits side by side with pristine, awe-inspiring nature.