August was here… and then it was gone.
Now, when I look outside, I see the leaves beginning to trickle down. Our driveway has turned into a painting. Bronze, yellow, gold. And every so often, if we’re lucky, one of those “golden balls” (aka a golf ball) flies over the wall from our next-door neighbour. Yes, we live next to a golf club. Sounds glamorous, right? It’s not.
We’re wedged between the A27 on one side, a creepy old wood-chopping shop with abandoned buildings in the woods behind us (Jamie and I explored once… never again), and in front of us, the hotel golf course. Every day, a new scratch magically appears on the car. Mischievous pixie with a grudge? Honestly, who knows…
We moved into our small cottage with Scott (our head chocolatier at Catherine’s Originals) a year and a half ago. Jamie, Scott, and I basically eat, sleep, and breathe Catherine’s Originals. That’s why we moved here-it was a win-win-win: close to the factory (literally less than two minutes away), cheaper rent, and complete chocolate immersion.
Every month at Catherine’s Originals still surprises me. I don’t know what it feels like to have a baby, but I imagine starting a business is the closest thing. You think you’ve cracked one stage-tick, potty training nailed. And then a whole new challenge arrives-teething. That’s us at Choco HQ. We make progress, feel steady, and then bam: “Are you ready for your next mission?”
It’s exciting, but sometimes I just wish there were more hours in a day. Three would do. Five would be dreamy. Or maybe a magic button that pauses the world until I’m ready to press play again.
Anyway, autumn has flown by. No wait-I mean August.
Right now, Jamie and I are actually on our way to Heathrow! Yes, the airport. We’re sneaking away on a very short break together and honestly, I’m so here for it. My first bit of time off this year. Of course, this is when the sniffles and scratchy throat start to show up. My mum always said it’s a motherhood thing, you run on adrenaline and coffee for months, and the moment you stop, your body finally lets you crash. She used to spend the first week of our family holidays in bed while we ran wild on the beach. I think business-hood is a bit like that too.
Jamie and I have been dialled in this month. Seriously focused. Maybe because Q4 is creeping up (and if you’re in chocolate, you know your entire year hangs on this quarter). It’s where the fun, chaos, and magic all collide.
And speaking of magic, we’ve got something very exciting launching this September. Guess what it is, and I’ll send you one for free 😉
Let’s just say: the O’Bars are just getting started. Their crunchy texture, smooth chocolate, and bold striped packaging have been a game-changer…
Each Q4, Jamie and I find ourselves rushing around in a bit of a scurry, often doing the jobs we “shouldn’t” be. Working in the business instead of on it. I think that’s the hardest part of running a start-up: knowing when to step back. Don’t get me wrong, we love being hands-on. But we’re hungry for more, ready for the next step, and that means learning to delegate and hire. New muscles we’re growing.
Our next big dream for Catherine’s Originals? Moving into our very own space. Buying land, building a proper chocolate hub, and making even more noise in the industry. Because here’s the truth: you can eat good chocolate without compromise. You can have fun, quality chocolate without losing your values. And more and more people are seeing that.
Watch this space, and stay tuned as we dive head-first into the final quarter of the year (the last quarter of 2025… WHAT. I can’t even).
This little mailing list started three years ago with five people on it (and four of them were me, my parents, Jamie and I). Today, there are 28,000 of you. And you guys rock. Truly. You make the long nights answering scary emails worth it. You make trialling new recipes again and again worth it. You make signing £80,000 ingredient contracts worth it.
It’s not as scary when you guys are over there on the other end.
Together, we’re making chocolate fairer. We’re providing an alternative. We’re trying our utmost best to make sure no one has to miss out on chocolate anymore. Dairy Free, Gluten Free and vegan choc is here for the long run.
Stay sweet, enjoy the last bit of summer warmth and next time I write, it’ll be from the Big Apple 🍎