What Charbonnel et Walker does

Charbonnel et Walker is a privately held British luxury chocolatier established in 1875 by Madame Charbonnel and Mrs. Walker, reportedly at the encouragement of Edward VII. The company designs, handcrafts, and sells premium chocolates, truffles, drinking chocolate, gift boxes, and gift hampers, and serves three end markets: individual gift purchasers for occasions such as birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, and corporate events; connoisseurs of traditional handcrafted chocolate; and B2B corporate gift buyers and wholesale partners. Distribution is multi-channel, comprising six owned or concessioned retail locations in London and Leeds (the flagship on Old Bond Street in Mayfair, plus Canary Wharf, Broadgate Circle, a Leeds Victoria Quarter store, and Chocolate Room concessions at Harrods and Selfridges), a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform at charbonnel.co.uk that ships internationally, and dedicated corporate and wholesale sales teams.

The firm's underlying product technology centres on traditional truffle craftsmanship — butter folded into melted chocolate with alcohol such as Marc de Champagne, whisked into thick ganache, enrobed in fine chocolate, and dusted with icing sugar — executed from recipes originating with founder Madame Charbonnel and using fine dark and milk couverture. The portfolio is organised into core lines (Chocolate Gift Boxes in Boite Rouge, Boite Marine and Boite Blanche velvet casings; hand-made truffles with and without alcohol; drinking chocolate flakes; and hampers from £150 to £395), curated sub-brands (the Heritage Collection, the Victorian-inspired Victoriana Collection), and licensed/sponsored collaborations (most notably the 007 James Bond line). All cocoa is sourced through the Cocoa Horizons Foundation.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through one-time unit-priced purchases at retail price points from £8.50 entry items to £395 premium hampers. UK e-commerce shipping is free above £50. The company is a private limited company incorporated in England with no disclosed parent, no subsidiaries, no institutional investors, and no funding rounds on record; all growth has been organic over the company's 150-year history. Customer support, corporate gifting, wholesale, and press are structured via dedicated email addresses and named contacts (e.g., David Cochran, Cosmo Del Mar, Poppy Phillips for wholesale; [email protected] for corporate orders).

Name

Charbonnel et Walker

Legal name

Charbonnel et Walker Ltd

Website

https://charbonnel.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1875

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Charbonnel et Walker is a privately held British luxury chocolatier, established in 1875, that handcrafts and sells premium chocolates, truffles, and gift hampers via six UK retail stores, department store concessions at Harrods and Selfridges, and global direct-to-consumer e-commerce, serving individual gift buyers and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Luxury Confectionery

NAICS

Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing (31135), Confectionery Manufacturing from Purchased Chocolate (311352)

akta.pro primary industry

Chocolate & Chocolate Confectionery (CRADABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Food Gift Shops & Hampers (CRAHAGAN), Chocolate & Confectionery Shops (THAFAGAD)

Keywords

• Luxury chocolate manufacturing
• Handmade chocolate truffles
• Chocolate gift boxes
• Drinking chocolate products
• Luxury chocolate hampers

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Direct Chocolate and Truffle Sales: The company generates revenue through direct sales of handmade luxury chocolates and truffles via e-commerce, owned retail stores, and department store concessions. Products range from individual items (£8.50-£13.50) to premium gift boxes (£30-£260) and hampers (£150-£395).
2. Corporate and Wholesale Orders: Dedicated sales teams handle corporate gift orders and wholesale enquiries, with specific contacts listed for David Cochran, Cosmo Del Mar, and Poppy Phillips for wholesale, and a dedicated email for corporate orders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Charbonnel et Walker manufactures and sells handmade luxury chocolates, truffles, drinking chocolate, gift boxes, and luxury hampers using traditional Madame Charbonnel recipes. The company distributes through its own London retail stores, department store concessions at Harrods and Selfridges, a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform with international shipping, and dedicated corporate and wholesale sales teams.

Product overview

Charbonnel et Walker is Britain's first luxury chocolatier, established in 1875, offering hand-made chocolates and truffles crafted using traditional recipes from Madame Charbonnel. The product portfolio centres on luxury chocolate gift boxes (Boite Rouge, Boite Marine, Boite Blanche), hand-made truffles in various flavours (Marc de Champagne, Sea Salt Caramel, Whisky, Espresso Martini), drinking chocolate (Original and Milk varieties), gift hampers, and luxury chocolate bars. The company also offers themed collections including the Heritage Collection celebrating classic flavours from nearly 150 years of history, the Victorian-inspired Victoriana Collection, and a 007 James Bond collaboration line. Products range from premium boxed assortments and truffles to drinking chocolate flakes and themed gift sets, all characterized by traditional craftsmanship, fine ingredients, and elegant presentation with satin ribbons.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chocolate Gift Boxes Luxury chocolate gift boxes in various sizes and designs (Boite Rouge, Boite Marine, Boite Blanche) filled with hand-crafted chocolates and truffles, sold to consumers and corporate buyers for gifting.
• Chocolate Truffles Hand-made truffles with ganache centres with or without alcohol (Marc de Champagne, whisky, gin), coated in fine chocolate and dusted with icing sugar, sold in single-layer and double-layer truffle boxes.
• Dark Chocolate Collection Dark chocolate products including truffles, bars, and gift boxes made from fine dark couverture for a decadently rich taste.
• Milk Chocolate Collection Luxury milk chocolate products including truffles, bars, and gift boxes featuring fine milk chocolate.
• White Chocolate Collection White chocolate products including truffles such as Lemon Cheesecake Truffles and white chocolate gift selections.
• Drinking Chocolate World-famous drinking chocolate flakes first created in 1875, available in Original (dark) and Milk Chocolate varieties for making hot chocolate beverages.
• Gift Hampers Curated chocolate gift hampers (£150-£395) containing selections of truffles, chocolates, drinking chocolate, and accessories in themed arrangements.
• Luxury Chocolate Bars Premium chocolate bars including Butler Bars from the Grand Ballroom Collection, Union Jack designs, and James Bond collaboration bars.
• Heritage Collection Signature collection celebrating classic flavours from nearly 150 years of history, including Rose & Violet Creams, Heritage Fine Milk and Dark Chocolate Selections, and Madame Charbonnel's classic recipes.
• The Victoriana Collection Victorian-inspired gift boxes featuring geometric designs in cascading colours of pink, navy and gold, containing signature truffles and chocolates.
• 007 James Bond Collection Licensed chocolates and gift items in collaboration with the James Bond franchise, including 007 Tuxedo Tins, 007 Dry Martini Truffles, 007 British Fine Milk Chocolate Bar, and James Bond Gift Hampers featuring Bond branding and film motifs.
• Vegan Friendly Chocolates Chocolate products suitable for vegans and vegetarians, including Mint Thins explicitly labeled as suitable for vegans.
• Marc de Champagne Truffle Trio & Moet Champagne Gift Set Luxury gift set combining the signature Marc de Champagne Truffle Trio with Moet Champagne, priced at £130.
• Corporate Gift Orders Dedicated corporate gift concierge service for businesses seeking luxury confectionery for corporate gifting, employee rewards, and client appreciation, handled through corporate sales team and a dedicated email.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cocoa Horizons program supported over 214,305 farmers graduating to individual coaching

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cocoa Horizons FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharbonnel et Walker partners with Cocoa Horizons, a Not-For-Profit organization, to source 100% sustainably sourced cocoa beans grown in West Africa. The partnership supports sustainable cocoa forestry, improves farmer livelihoods through training programs, equipment provision, and women's empowerment activities, while ensuring transparency and accountability throughout the cocoa production process.
• James Bond FranchisecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLicensed collaboration producing 007-themed chocolate products including the 007 James Bond Tuxedo Tin, 007 Dry Martini Truffles, 007 British Fine Milk Chocolate Bar, and James Bond Gift Hampers. Products feature iconic Bond branding and film motifs.
• Truefitt & HillminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGift with purchase collaboration where customers receive a complimentary Truefitt & Hill West Indian Limes shower gel with purchase of Dark Sea Salt Truffles. Truefitt & Hill is a luxury grooming brand established over 200 years ago in St. James's, London.
• Idle Assembly SpiritsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive collaboration with David Flint Wood of Idle Assembly Spirits creating the Idle Assembly Rum Truffle. Limited edition product featuring caramel centre enrobed in Fine Dark Chocolate.
• AUGUST&PIERSminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHome fragrance brand partnership creating the Saint Gift Set - August & Piers x Charbonnel et Walker, pairing their best selling Saint candle with Charbonnel et Walker chocolates.
• HarrodscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDepartment store retail concession partnership at Harrods Chocolate Room, Ground Floor, 87-135 Brompton Rd, London SW1X 7XL.
• SelfridgescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDepartment store retail concession partnership at Selfridges Chocolate Room, Lower Ground Floor, 400 Oxford St, London W1C 1JS.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/charbonneletwalker
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/charbonnel-et-walker

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Charbonnel et Walker