From Cocoa to Caldey: My View from the Island’s Chocolate Factory

Before visitors reach us, they have already begun their Caldey experience. The boat journey from Tenby takes around 20 minutes, with views back towards the town and across the Pembrokeshire coast. After landing, visitors pass Priory Beach, the village and the Abbey before walking through the woodland to the old farm and priory buildings where the factory is based. The journey gives people a chance to experience more of Caldey before watching one of the island’s best-known products being made.

Welcoming visitors into our working factory

The Chocolate Factory now occupies the island’s former dairy, close to the priory and St Illtyd’s Church. Today, this small working factory gives visitors the chance to watch the chocolate being made from the customer area, and I am always happy to answer questions about the process when I can.

Our displays bring together the familiar gold-wrapped Caldey bars, island-inspired products and a colourful selection of fudge. Some visitors arrive looking for an old favourite, while others are discovering Caldey chocolate for the first time. I enjoy seeing their reaction when they realise the chocolate on the shelves has been made just a few feet away.

Making Caldey Chocolate

Before we can start making the chocolate, we have to get the ingredients to the island. They come across by boat from Tenby and are then brought up to the factory. The weather can affect deliveries, so making chocolate on Caldey takes a little more planning than it would on the mainland.

Every bar begins with carefully selected chocolate sourced from Belgium, chosen for its smooth texture and rich flavour. It is a fitting connection for Caldey, as the island’s first Cistercian monks came from Belgium. Tempering is one of the most important parts of the job: I have to bring the chocolate to just the right temperature so that it flows smoothly into the moulds and sets with a glossy finish and a satisfying snap.

Once the chocolate is ready, we pour it into Caldey’s own moulds. Each finished bar is divided into small pieces, with the Caldey name moulded into the chocolate.

We gently settle the filled moulds so the chocolate reaches all the fine details and any unwanted air bubbles can escape. Depending on the production run, we may be making our classic milk, dark, extra-dark or white bars, Caldey Island seashells, or larger bars with strawberry, caramel or orange pieces.

We stack the filled moulds on trolleys and move them into the large chiller at the back of the factory. Cooling allows the chocolate to contract slightly as it sets, helping each piece come away from the mould while keeping its smooth finish and sharp detail.

Timing matters, as each bar needs to be fully set before we carefully turn out the mould and release the chocolate for inspection.

Every piece is checked before it reaches the shop, and we look for a clean surface, an even shape and the quality people expect from a Caldey bar. One of the monks then helps us wrap the bars by hand in the familiar gold packaging designed by the Abbot. We also clean and polish the empty moulds so that they are ready for the next production run.

Fudge, flavour and new ideas

Chocolate is only part of what we make. During the main visitor season, we produce a wide range of fudge, with around 20 flavours appearing across the display. Traditional favourites sit alongside choices such as salted caramel, rocky road, chocolate ginger and Jelly Monk, our playful strawberry-and-lemon flavour with pieces of jelly babies.

We use our Caldey chocolate in the chocolate fudges for an especially rich taste. We are always interested in new ideas from visitors, although there was not a great deal of enthusiasm for my chilli Dorito chocolate fudge! If there is a flavour you would like us to try, let us know next time you visit—you might find it on the counter one day.

Continuing a Caldey tradition

I am very conscious that our work continues a long island tradition. Confectionery has been part of Caldey life for more than 60 years, and chocolate production began in 1968. Older visitors often remember the “Abbot’s Kitchen” bars, little jars of boiled sweets and moulded chocolate lighthouses, seahorses and fish.

When the Chocolate Factory reopened in June 2024 after closing in 2022, it restored a much-loved part of a visit to Caldey. We brought original equipment and bespoke moulds back into use, while refreshing the customer area and product range. I like that we can preserve what people remember while also introducing new flavours and ideas.

The monastic community supports the factory in many practical ways, including woodwork, administration and payroll, as well as offering ideas and feedback. I may be the person visitors see making the chocolate, but it is very much a shared effort.

Come and make the factory part of your Caldey day

If you are visiting Caldey, I hope you will call in at the Chocolate Factory as part of your day. You can explore the village and woodland, visit the medieval priory and island churches, enjoy the beach and coastal views, then come and see us at work and choose an old favourite or something new from the shelves.

Boats depart from Tenby Harbour, and tickets are purchased from the ticket kiosk at the top of Pier Hill on the day because sailings depend on the weather. I recommend checking the website or social media for the latest sailing times before setting out and allowing plenty of time to enjoy the journey as well as the destination.

The best part for me is seeing visitors leave with a favourite bar or a bag of fudge to take home. Of course, whether it actually makes it back to the boat without being eaten is another matter! Either way, I hope it gives you a little taste of Caldey and reminds you of your day on the island.