Sad News: CocoaNymph is Closing

I generally have a no-bad-news-policy on this blog. But this bit of bad news cannot go unnoticed. 

Not just because I've collaborated with Rachel Sawatzky and CocoaNymph for the past 4 years; but because it's disheartening to see a business that poured so much heart and soul into everything they do need to close down. Everything that Rachel and her team did they did wholeheartedly: from their craft of making top-notch chocolates and confections, to educating new entrepreneurs in the art of chocolate making. They served their community as a neighbourhood gathering place and home-away-from-home environment for many of their patrons, something I have witnessed and experienced every time I stopped by for hot chocolate or for picking up fragrant bars. CocoaNymph has become part my family's life on our weekly stops from our horseback riding lessons, and recently even became a work-training hub for for my autistic daughter (who was a proud member of the team every Thursday this past fall and winter as part of her "work experience" at school). 

CocoaNymph supported countless Canadian musicians, who frequently performed on the chocolaterie's grand piano, contributing to the city's much-needed nightlife; hosted many workshops and tasting events to cultivate the West Coast palate and co-promote other local artisan businesses - from craft beer brewers to perfumers.
 
I don't know if there is a "positive" way to look at CocoaNymph's closure. I can just hope that it serves as a lesson to us all to support your favourite artistan while their business is still alive and can thrive and create more jobs for us (or our kids, for that matter). 

It will be hard to live without your chocolates, but even more so without this dream. 

P.s. Don't panic! The fragrant chocolate bars we've co-created will still be made especially for you despite CocoaNymph's closure. So please keep ordering them and help us keep this project alive!