What Hazel Mountain Chocolate does

Hazel Mountain Chocolate is an Irish family-run craft chocolate company founded in 2014 by Kasha and John Connolly, operating from Oughtmama, Bellharbour, County Clare, with a second retail site at 9 Middle Street, Galway City. It is positioned as Ireland's only bean-to-bar chocolate factory, controlling every stage of production from raw cacao sourcing through roasting, hand cracking and winnowing, two-day stone mill grinding, controlled sugar addition, and three-week ageing of the chocolate. The product portfolio spans single-origin dark chocolate bars (70% Bolivia, 72% Venezuela, 70% Madagascar with seaweed, Costa Rica coffee-cardamom), 42% Cuban-cacao Irish milk chocolate bars with various inclusions, hand-piped Irish whiskey truffles (made with J.J. Corry whiskey), drinking chocolate, salted caramel fudge, hazelnut spreads (dairy and vegan), ceremonial cacao (Sea Swimmers), cacao tea, and a licensed Moomin loose-leaf tea range, alongside cookbook and merchandise items.

Revenue is generated through a multi-channel model: direct-to-consumer e-commerce on Shopify with international shipping (multiple currencies, DPD and An Post), two owned retail stores, a top-10-rated café at the Burren flagship, paid factory tours and chocolate workshops (booked via Eventbrite), corporate gifting, and a wholesale programme stocking other retailers. Cacao is sourced via direct trade from farmers and co-operatives in Madagascar, Venezuela, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Cuba, combined with Irish dairy and Irish sea salt for a distinct provenance story. The company has won multiple Academy of Chocolate and Great Taste Awards, has been listed among Ireland's top 10 food attractions and top 10 cafés by the Irish Times, and was featured on RTÉ's Late Late Show with Nigella Lawson.

Name

Hazel Mountain Chocolate

Legal name

Hazel Mountain Chocolate

Website

https://hazelmountainchocolate.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hazel Mountain Chocolate is an Irish family-run craft chocolate maker founded in 2014, operating Ireland's only bean-to-bar chocolate factory on the Wild Atlantic Way and serving food tourists, gift buyers, vegan consumers, and wholesale retailers with single-origin bars, truffles, ceremonial cacao, and specialty teas via DTC e-commerce, two retail stores, and paid factory experiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Bean-to-Bar Chocolate

NAICS

Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing from Cacao Beans (311351), Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing (31135)

SIC

Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060)

akta.pro primary industry

Chocolate & Chocolate Confectionery (CRADABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dessert Cafes (Coffee + Desserts) (THAFADAH), Coffee Roasting & Grinding (AFAFADAB)

Keywords

• Bean to bar chocolate
• Craft chocolate making
• Single origin chocolate
• Artisan chocolate confections
• Chocolate factory tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Clare

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: The company generates primary revenue through direct sales of bean-to-bar chocolate products via their e-commerce platform and retail locations. Products include chocolate bars, truffles, hot chocolate, cacao products, and specialty items with pricing ranging from $9 to $35 per item.
2. Visitor Experiences: Revenue from 45-minute immersive chocolate factory tours, workshops, and experiences. The company operates a cafe at their Burren location and has corporate gifting enquiries available.
3. Wholesale Distribution: Bulk orders to retail partners who stock Hazel Mountain Chocolate products, supported by a dedicated wholesale page and corporate gifting programme.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Hazel Mountain Chocolate is Ireland's only bean-to-bar chocolate factory, manufacturing craft chocolate directly from sustainably sourced cacao beans via traditional roasting, stone mill grinding, and three-week ageing. Its product range spans single-origin dark bars, 42% Irish milk chocolate, Irish Whiskey truffles, drinking chocolate, cacao tea, spreads, and confectionery, complemented by factory tours, workshops, a top-rated on-site café, and a wholesale channel for stockists and corporate gifting.

Product overview

Hazel Mountain Chocolate is Ireland's only bean-to-bar chocolate factory, offering a diverse portfolio of craft chocolate products and experiences. Their product line includes single origin dark chocolate bars (70%, 72% cacao varieties from Bolivia, Madagascar, Venezuela, Costa Rica), milk chocolate bars (42% with various mix-ins like cherry, hazelnut, coffee cardamom, toasted almond), truffles, drinking chocolate/cacao, chocolate spreads, honeycomb, marshmallows, chocolate orbs, and complementary teas (Moomin brand). They also offer non-food merchandise including cookbooks and socks, plus experiences including factory tours, workshops, and café service. The company operates two retail locations in Galway city and Burren, with their flagship factory and visitor centre along the Wild Atlantic Way. All chocolate products are crafted directly from sustainably sourced cacao beans with minimal processing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sea Swimmers Cacao Ceremonial-grade cacao drink made with 100% Criollo cacao beans from Madagascar, developed with Michelle Riordan of Cliffs of Moher Retreat and inspired by Ireland's cold water swimming culture. 220g pack makes approximately 10 cups, marketed for natural energy and mood-boosting flavonoids and theobromine.
• Salted Caramel Fudge Best-selling fudge made with creamy Irish dairy and Irish sea salt, sold as a sweet-and-salty treat via the e-commerce store and available for shipping.
• Irish Whiskey Truffles Hand-piped truffles in an Irish milk chocolate shell, infused with J.J. Corry Irish Whiskey matured in American bourbon casks, featuring smokey coffee notes with hints of fruit and butterscotch. Sold in 6-piece and 12-piece gift boxes.
• Milk Chocolate Honeycomb Bestselling bar combining crunchy toffee honeycomb pieces enrobed in smooth 42% Irish milk chocolate, positioned as a tea-break treat.
• Cacao Tea Caffeine-free loose tea crafted from organic lightly roasted cacao shells blended with rose petal, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and vanilla. Award-winning (WOF 2016 Best New Product), positioned as a mood-boosting, antioxidant-rich alternative to traditional teas.
• 70% Dark Chocolate Bolivia Single-origin bean-to-bar dark chocolate made with cacao beans from Bolivia, featuring natural tasting notes of mint, pineapple, and smoke. 70g bar.
• Classic Hot Chocolate 65% Award-winning drinking chocolate made with Ecuadorian cacao beans and just a little sugar, designed to be made with regular milk, dairy-free milk, or water. Praised by Nigella Lawson on RTÉ's Late Late Show. 200g pack.
• Classic 42% Irish Milk Chocolate Core 70g milk chocolate bar made from 42% Cuban cacao beans and Irish milk, delivering a fudgy, malty, smooth milk chocolate profile with no added toppings.
• 42% Milk Chocolate with Cherry and Hazelnut Limited edition 70g milk chocolate bar combining Cuban cacao and Irish milk with sweet dried cherries and crunchy roasted hazelnuts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Listed as top 10 food attraction in Ireland by Irish Times
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• J.J. Corry Irish WhiskeycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJ.J. Corry supplies Irish Whiskey matured in American bourbon casks for use in Hazel Mountain's Irish Whiskey Truffles. Both companies share a philosophy of sourcing premium ingredients from notable sources - J.J. Corry bonds whiskey from Ireland's best old distilleries while Hazel Mountain sources finest cacao beans globally. The partnership creates a unique product featuring smokey coffee notes with hints of fruit and butterscotch.
• Kasha Connolly and Michelle Riordan of Cliffs of Moher RetreatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership to create Sea Swimmers Cacao, inspired by Ireland's cold water swimming culture. Kasha Connolly (Creative Director of Hazel Mountain) and Michelle Riordan (of Cliffs of Moher Retreat) developed this ceremonial grade cacao product featuring 100% Criollo cacao beans from Madagascar.
• Jon Eliason Design StudiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign studio collaborated on the café architecture at the Burren location. The design pays homage to traditional farmhouse where founder's grandmother Agnes once baked soda breads and cakes.
• Cocoa Bean Farmers and Co-operatives (Madagascar, Venezuela, Mexico, Costa Rica, Cuba)coreTechnology or IntegrationDirect trade relationships with cocoa bean farmers and co-operatives from Madagascar, Venezuela, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Cuba. Hazel Mountain is committed to supporting 'little guy' producers and fostering direct relationships with farmers.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Askinosie Chocolate: US craft bean-to-bar chocolate maker with direct-trade sourcing from individual farmers. Comparable in craft production methods, single-origin focus, and ethical-sourcing positioning.
• Tony's Chocolonely: Dutch bean-to-bar and ethical chocolate brand operating in the same craft chocolate category, competing for premium and ethically-sourced single-origin chocolate buyers across European and international DTC and retail channels. Both brands compete on direct-trade sourcing and story-driven positioning.
• Hotel Chocolat: UK-based premium chocolate brand combining bean-to-bar manufacturing with retail stores, cafés, and experience-driven venues. Directly comparable business model to Hazel Mountain's combination of craft chocolate production, physical retail, cafés, and experiential offerings.
• Mast Brothers: US-based pioneer of the bean-to-bar craft chocolate movement with similar small-batch production ethos, single-origin sourcing, and DTC/wholesale distribution. Highly comparable in operational model and target customer segment.
• Cocoa Runners: UK-based craft bean-to-bar chocolate retailer that curates and distributes premium single-origin bars from small producers. Comparable as a craft chocolate distribution channel and as an indirect competitor for Hazel Mountain's DTC customers in the UK/Ireland market.

Regional players

• Lir Chocolates: Irish premium chocolate brand focused on truffles and giftable boxed chocolate. Comparable as a domestic Irish competitor in the premium chocolate and gifting category, though not operating a bean-to-bar production model.
• Butlers Chocolates: Established Irish premium chocolatier with retail stores across Ireland and the UK. Comparable in operating premium chocolate retail in the same geography, though serving a different (mass-premium) price tier and broader product range.

Broad incumbents

• Green & Black's: Established premium organic chocolate brand with broad retail distribution. Comparable as a premium positioning play in the chocolate category, though operating at much larger scale and through mass-market grocery rather than craft direct-trade channels.
• Lindt & Sprüngli: Global premium chocolate manufacturer with strong presence in Ireland and the UK. Comparable as a competing premium chocolate brand competing for the same gifting, café, and self-purchase occasions at a broader scale.

Emerging players

• Auro Chocolate: Philippines-based bean-to-bar craft chocolate maker with similar farm-to-bar sourcing philosophy and DTC-plus-retail distribution. Comparable as a craft bean-to-bar peer with comparable production scale and product portfolio breadth.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HazelMountainCh
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Hazel-Mountain-Chocolates/1416487941931659
• Instagraminstagram.com/hazelmountainchocolate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Hazel Mountain Chocolate