Dragon Den’s star Peter Jones has produced an unusual ‘white’ Christmas for mainland Britain’s remotest chocolate factory.
Cococa Mountain at Durness in Sutherland appeared on the hit BBC show in August and though it did not manage to secure the £80,000 investment for a 15 percent stake, Mr Jones was especially taken by the company’s white chocolate bars.
And now the Dragons – who variously described Durness as a “diabolical” place to do business and where “hippies” dropped out – have been made to eat their words.
For in the run up to Christmas, sales of the white chocolate bars are up by 10,000 and business overall has increased 35 percent since co-owners James Findlay and Paul Maden appeared on the show.
And Mr Findlay also revealed that they have been approached by more than 60 potential investors – including even one based in Vietnam – and were now set to double the workforce to 15 next year and open up a second production facility, almost certainly in Brora.
Mr Maden said the company was in “final negotiations” over securing the site.
“We want to come to Brora and create jobs there. We have already had a number of people from Brora contact us about working for Cocoa Mountain,” said Mr Maden.
“We are in final negotiations over a site and we are very hopeful it will be concluded in the coming weeks.”
As for the sales of the white chocolate with toffee bars, Mr Findlay added: “Peter Jones did us a real favour. He really liked the product.
“The sales and orders up to Christmas have gone through the roof. Online sales alone have tripled. After we appeared on Dragons Den our website crashed due to the demand.
“We had to take people on just to cope. We have been getting orders from as far away as Tokyo, Argentina and the USA.
“We have had over 60 investors approach us, including one from Vietnam – but we do not think that is one we will pursue. But we remain in talks with others. We are keen to launch our hot chocolate, which is described by people as ‘the best in the world’, on the mass market next year.”
Their hot chocolate has fans said to include ex England cricketer Ian Botham, former Rangers boss Ally McCoist and actress Juliet Stevenson.
On the show Dragon’s Den investor Nick Jenkins used the word “diabolical” to describe the area when mainland Britain’s most remote chocolatiers attempted to gain investment from the fearsome five.
Speaking of Cocoa Mountain’s location, Mr Jenkins said: “A lovely place for people who want to step out of the world. It’s a diabolical place to set up business.”
But Mr Maden said:”Our location is a strength not a weakness – the dragons just did not get it.”
Mr Maden and Mr Findlay set up Cocoa Mountain in a unit at Balnakeil Craft Village nine years ago.