Hotel Chocolat, a British cocoa grower and chocolatier, has opened its first U.S. store on Boston's Newbury Street, underscoring Boston's position as a world class destination for international business and defining the very strong economic, historic, and cultural ties that bind Massachusetts and the UK.  British Consul General to New England Dr Phil Budden attended the store's ribbon cutting ceremony alongside Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino on Wednesday, October 21, 2009.

 
Founded in 1993, Hotel Chocolat is a socially-responsible British chocolatier focused on delivering high quality merchandise using organic ingredients and ethical labour practices. What started as a mail-order catalog and website quickly grew into a 35-store enterprise throughout the UK, earning Hotel Chocolat a spot on the Sunday Times's annual list of the UK's fastest-growing companies. Hotel Chocolat's line of premium chocolate merchandise is produced with an emphasis on sustainability: the company owns its own cocoa plantations in Ghana and St. Lucia, and the merchandise is hand-crafted using organic ingredients and recyclable packaging.
 
Opening a new store is a challenge for any business in today's economic climate - let alone a store meant to be a gateway to the US market. Calling the opening a "harbinger of economic rebound," US CEO Nikki Doggart lauded Boston as a "nationally influential metropolitan region" with a "dynamic flow of highly educated tourists, college students, and business commuters." Indeed, the store's opening was heralded by the Mayor, who featured it on his recent tour of retail opportunities on Newbury Street.
 
With the City of Boston as its launchpad to the US marketplace, Hotel Chocolat brings a strong business acumen, evidenced by its 35 UK locations and £40 million in annual turnover. The company plans to open a second Boston area store within the year.

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