Knoops Chocolate

Knoops Chocolate, commonly known as Knoops (pronounced "kuh–noops"), is a British chocolate café chain and retailer. The business operates a chain of cafes known for its hand-crafted chocolate drinks. The chain was launched in 2013 and, as of May 2024, has outlets in 18 locations in the United Kingdom. The company also produces drinking chocolate and other products which are sold in their cafes, premium retailers Selfridges and Harrods and online.

History
Knoops Chocolate was founded in 2013 by Jens Knoop, former IT manager who grew up in Germany and was interested in chocolate from an early age. He opened the first Knoops café in Rye, East Sussex, England in 2013, serving hot chocolate, milkshakes, iced chocolate and coffee.

In 2019, the company received investment from William Gordon-Harris, who was appointed executive chairman. Knoops began opening more stores across the UK and launched its online retail offering shortly after.

Since 2020, it has opened six more locations in London including Kensington, Richmond, Chelsea, Notting Hill, Knightsbridge and Covent Garden.

In 2021, the company opened a café and store in Brighton. In March 2022, the company opened a store in Oxford, England.

In 2023, it opened more stores in England including Manchester, Cambridge, Bath and St Albans. In July, Knoops appointed William Gordon-Harris as its chief executive. In November, the company raised £8.3 million of investment, with the majority coming from London department store Morleys Stores. In December, Knoops announced a partnership with new Wonka film when it was released in cinemas in the UK.

Concept
The concept of Knoops Chocolate is based on a menu of over 20 different chocolates to suit the preferences of customers. The company produces a variety of drinking chocolate flakes and a variety of seasonal and gift products. It also offers coffee, marshmallows and its own cookbook.

Knoops allows experimentation with different percentages of chocolate and flavours in a process it calls ‘Knoopology’. In this process, customers can choose the percentage of chocolate, their choice of milk and add extra natural flavors such as sea salt, orange zest or chilli, to be made into a hot chocolate, milkshake or iced chocolate.

Locations

 * Kensington, London
 * Chelsea, London
 * Knightsbridge, London
 * Richmond, London
 * Notting Hill, London
 * Covent Garden, London
 * Oxford, Oxfordshire
 * Manchester, Greater Manchester
 * Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
 * Bath, Somerset
 * St Albans, Hertfordshire
 * Rye, East Sussex
 * Brighton, East Sussex
 * Chester, Cheshire
 * Guildford, Surrey
 * Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
 * Leeds, West Yorkshire
 * Edinburgh Old Town, Scotland
 * Edinburgh New Town, Scotland