“My chef dreams were crushed by a brain tumour - but now I’m an award finalist for my unique chocolates”

Jo Garnham-Parks, of Gleadless, has said how she feels “so lucky” after having her skills in chocolate making verified by a team of industry experts behind the Deliciously Yorkshire Taste Awards 2024.

The talented chocolatier, who runs Chocolates by Design, learned on Saturday, September 21, that she had made the finals for the ‘best confectionery’ category with her ‘experimental’ chocolate range.

Jo said: “For me, entering the awards was more about people seeing the chocolates, rather than an award in itself.

“I’ve been working full time on the chocolate business since January, it's just been amazing. I can’t believe I’m so lucky.”

The experimental range has been designed by Jo to take your taste buds on a journey, with waves of complimenting flavours. Included in the range is ‘raspberry, lychee and lilac’, ‘sweet miso and hazelnut’, and ‘tonka bean’.

After a rewarding 30 year career in the charity sector, Jo, aged 54, realised she was ready for change. She had just married her husband Tony in 2009 when she decided to pursue her passion in cooking by retraining as a chef.

However, shortly after qualifying in 2010, Jo underwent an MRI scan in hospital which revealed a huge brain tumour a quarter of the size of her brain.

It turned out that medication she was on for an unrelated condition had been masking her symptoms.

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Jo said: “The tumour was sat on the epilepsy function, and because the tablets I was on were actually epilepsy medicine, it was masking the fits.

“The headaches I put down to having a stressful job. I had funny do’s but you just think it’s because I’m running around too much.”

Jo had three surgeries to remove the tumour, but these left her stroke-like symptoms on her left side. It meant that her chef career sadly ended before it could start, and she returned to her day job just five weeks after surgery.

“I really loved my job, but you know when you've got a hankering to do what you really love,” Jo said.

“I was thinking about what I could actually do, and a good time later, I started making chocolates as a side hustle for family and friends.”

Jo began taking her chocolates to fairs, and then opened her own shop on Etsy in 2021.

Then in January of this year, Jo decided to take the plunge and commit to her business on a full-time basis.

Now what were previously “overwhelming” orders of 500 chocolates have upscaled to orders of 180kg of chocolate. And Jo has even been commissioned by businesses to make bespoke chocolates as part of their campaigns, including luxury sports car manufacturer, Porsche.

Jo said: “My husband's always had different businesses, I've always been the one that's employed. So stepping out of that has been a major step.

“At the beginning of the year I was looking at perhaps doing something part time, but actually I’ve not got time for that now.

“I feel so lucky that people are paying me to develop flavours for them.”

No artificial flavours are used in the chocolates, and the cocoa beans are ethically sourced directly from Columbia, from a social enterprise.

To find out more, please visit Chocolates by Design on Etsy by clicking here, or visit the business’s page on Facebook at: facebook.com/ChocolatesbyDesignUK