Tosier 90% Maya Mountain, Belize

Deanna Tilston founded Tosier Chocolate in 2016 and launched the Tosier Chocolatemaker brand at the Aldeburgh Food & Drink Festival in Suffolk in 2017.

After several years living in Europe and exploring a wide range of fine chocolate, she developed a strong interest in flavour and craft chocolate-making, which led her to train in bean-to-bar production.

With a background as a hands-on maker, she went on to develop her skills through experimentation, study with Ecole Chocolat, and practical training at Cocoatown in Atlanta with industry experts Chloe Doutre-Roussel and Marie Fernanda Di Giacobbe.

What started in a basement workshop has since grown into a small-scale chocolate factory, moving through several spaces over time, including a Portakabin and a converted dairy, while maintaining a focus on quality and flavour. Tosier is now a family-run business, with her husband Jonathan managing sales and marketing and her son Émile working in production after training as a chef. The team produces a range of award-winning chocolates, including bean-to-bar chocolate bars, dragées, pralines and Freddy Rocks.

Deanna continues to oversee production and is focused on craft methods, traceability and ethical sourcing, working with supply chains that aim to ensure fair pricing and long-term support for cocoa farmers.