(Paper + Chocolate) x (Ma + Idiot) = Cocoa + Box
For thousands of years the combined arts of chocolate making and papercrafting have produced some of the finest culinary delights and pieces of art the world has ever seen. Crafters and chocolatiers undergo years of training to become masters of their field. Combing chocolates and papercraft, CocoaBox now joins the highest ranks of these illustrious………Eehhhhhhhhh No! Not so much.
We’re actually just a mother and son from South Dublin. Orla, a public servant with a rich family history of art, music and graphic design, and Ronan, an idiot scientist bored out of his skull during the first lockdown. How did two antonyms first come up with CocoaBox?….. Absolutely no idea! Somewhere between Orla making her third or fourth origami tissue box cover (no that’s not an exaggeration) and Ronan making his first chocolates using a €2 plastic mould we had a moment of “Hang on a second!”
What followed has been a tumultuous 3 year trek of collaboration, refining and evolution of that initial “Huh” moment to bring you what is now CocoaBox. The first box that Orla made… boring and didn’t fit properly. The first chocolates that Ronan produced…(I’ve blocked that memory they were so bad!). And let’s be clear, after our first mediocre iteration of a box of chocolates we didn’t suddenly say “Right well obviously the next step is for Ronan to quit his job and start a business together”. We are two risk averse people so why in all of the alternate dimensions in all of the parallel multiverses would we open a chocolate box business?! Again……. ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA!!
After much testing and feedback from family, friends, colleagues, involuntary testers and industry experts we eventually decided “Ahhh screw it! Let’s give it a go!”. Many months of learning, messing up, shouting, laughing and DUUUUHHing later, we’re proud to be able to present to you……. nope we still have no idea what we’re doing. We’re just an idiot and his Ma making tasty chocolates in pretty boxes. Enjoy!