Life behind the SQUARES with Sarah Anderson

Each person attending will require a ticket and the experience includes a savoury bun or sweet treat elf-endorsed sugary breakfast plate (or lunch box) at our eatery. Included in the ticket price is a chocolate themed (of course) reusable gift, a NICE list certificate, activity sheet with colouring, and of course your private photo opportunity with the big man himself in our fully decked out, cosy Christmas grotto. You can take as many of your own photos as you want. 

During your session the shop will also be closed to the general public, but open to you, so if you wish to use your hour to stock up on last minute gifts or to get those bits and bobs to add to Christmas Eve boxes, we will have the tills on and be ready to serve. 

This would be an amazing opportunity to relight the magic in older children who are on the cusp of believing - we had overwhelmingly positive feedback last year, with everyone who attended telling us he encompassed everything you'd imagine the real Santa to do so... real beard included! He has the voice, the glasses, even the twinkle of fairy lights in his eyes (this might be a reflection of the decor in the shop, but still 👀🤣) 

We decided to start hosting gluten free events at the shop earlier this year, after noticing an increase in customers asking for our gluten free goodies and meals at general service times. 

What are Sarah's Chocolate Kitchen gluten free nights?

They are essentially evenings set aside to serve goods that have no gluten in them, so anybody attending knows that everything on offer is suitable for them to eat without having to check the menu top to bottom, back to front and inside out, and without worrying about cross contamination. 

I craved the freedom and flexibility of being my own boss...

I signed a 5-year lease to a factory unit in Southend in November 2017, and officially moved in there the following January. The relief was amazing. We had our home back, we could expand now however we wanted, and I could share the load with others. It wasn't solely on my shoulders anymore... or so I thought! 

I never expected what followed - in both the best and worst ways!