Chocolate-maker Richard Cadbury commercialised the connection between love and chocolate in 1868 with the introduction of the first heart-shaped box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day.

However, the association stretches back long before the 19th century. Tracing its roots to the classic period, the ancient Mayans revered the cacao tree and linked it to fertility and life.

The love story continued in the Victorian era when chocolate became the preferred gift of courtship.

In 2025, chocolate continues to represent love in all its forms. Whether you’re celebrating romantic, platonic, or self-love, Irish chocolatiers have a selection of hand-crafted and indulgent treats this Valentine’s Day.

Hazel Mountain Chocolate

Since 2014, Hazel Mountain Chocolate has been making ripples in the chocolate world. The magic happens in the bean to bar factory in the Burren hills where directors and chocolatiers Kasha and John Connolly use ethically-sourced and natural ingredients to create their delights.

Their new truffle selection, €28.95, has been crafted by Kasha. All the truffles are hand-painted and filled with signature flavours like salted caramel, cherry and espresso and coffee cardamom. Also their packaging is entirely plastic free.

• hazelmountainchocolate.com

Bon Chocolatiers

Bon Chocolatiers create Irish artisan chocolates, sourcing chocolate from France and Switzerland and crafting it by hand in Tullamore, Co Offaly. The founders and partners – both business and romatically – are Georgia Quealy and Daniel Linehan from Athlone. They are both classically trained chefs, having attended a masterclass from the world’s best artisan chocolatier Vincent Vallée.

The eight-piece With Love box, €28, is an edible piece of art for Valentine’s Day, filled with romantic flavours, like rosewater and cacao nib, strawberries and cream and Ballymore Honey caramel and biscotti. You can also request the team to handwrite the ‘to’ and ‘from’ names on the tag of your Valentine’s chocolate box, which is an extra special touch.

• bonchocolatiers.ie

Chef’s Georgia Quealy and Daniel Linehan from Bon Chocolatiers. \ Barry Cronin

Braw Chocolate & Bakery

Braw Chocolate & Bakery is a small batch chocolatier and micro-bakery in Limerick city run by Anna Coffey Lynch, who spent four years in the position of head chocolatier in Cocoa Atelier in Dublin.

Drawing on her background as both a pastry chef and chocolatier, the flavours for Anna’s newest chocolate bar range are inspired by popular bakery treats, like pecan pie and spiced biscuit, €24. Braw uses Luker chocolate for their products, which is ethically and sustainably sourced in Colombia. Scottish slang to describe someone or something as great is ‘braw’. Is there a better way to tell your loved one that they’re ‘braw’ this 14 February?

• brawchocolate.com

Grá Chocolates

Grá Chocolates is a brand that represents quality, decadence and luxury, blending the finest ingredients in the world: ethically sourced Valrhona chocolate, Casa Luker cocoa butter, and of course, Irish cream and butter. Chocolate creations are handcrafted in small batches by head chocolatier and founder, Gráinne Mullins, in Kilchreest, Co Galway, with each chocolate taking three days to create.

These giant chocolate hearts, €35, are the ultimate Valentine’s Day treat, gleaming with a glossy sheen, hand-painted with soft colour and filled with delicate flavours. The S’More than Love chocolate heart blends lavender marshmallow with white chocolate and vanilla ganache. If you want something rich and nutty, flavours like pistachio, caramel or almond are also available.

• grahocolates.com

Grá Chocolate’s S’More than Love heart.

Bean and Goose

Sisters Karen and Natalie Keane started Bean and Goose in 2014 from a home kitchen in the Wexford countryside. Now operating out of their chocolate café and workshop in Gorey, their journey has been one of sustainability and mindfulness, partnering with the ‘bean to bar’ organic producer Original Beans. They do not using any plastic packaging. Their best-selling chocolate bundles are a thoughtful invitation to a loved one to pause and savour the moment.

Their hot chocolate trio bundle, €28.50, is all about slowing down and savouring the moment. It includes classic hot chocolate, warming spice hot chocolate and coffee and cardamom hot chocolate. Each order includes complimentary gift messaging and packaging.

• beanandgoose.ie

The Truffle Fairy

The Truffle Fairy was established in 2005 by professional chef Mary Teehan, who started out making chocolates in her own kitchen.

Two decades later, and The Truffle Fairy not only offers high-quality chocolate to enjoy, but has also opened two cafés in Thomastown and Kilkenny city.

The 12 truffle box, €24, is a tantalising treat. Classics like hazelnut milk and Bailey’s Irish cream dark chocolate sit alongside bolder combinations like Ballykeefe Distillery Dry Gin, passionfruit white chocolate and cardamom orange dark chocolate. A world of flavour in one beautifully presented box.

• trufflefairy.ie

NearyNógs Stoneground Chocolate

NearyNógs Stoneground Chocolate is Northern Ireland’s first bean to bar craft chocolate makers and one of the oldest in Ireland. A family business, the chocolate is small-batch crafted in their Newry factory making use of solar power. The firm only uses ethically sourced and sustainable cacao beans.

Their Irish collection, €44.95, fuses local traditions with ancient flavours of cacao by marrying craft chocolate with fine Irish ingredients, including Irish whiskey, gorse flowers, Irish sea salt, soda bread, and even locally foraged Irish sea weeds. An edible declaration of love and of Irish heritage.

• nearynogs.com

Koko Kinsale

Founded by Frank Keane, KoKo Kinsale is heading into its 15th year of business. Frank previously operated Ireland’s leading ceramics gallery but after 2010, he changed course and decided to pour his passion for creating and designing into making bespoke chocolates.

Many of Frank’s chocolates take inspiration from the signature flavours of Kinsale, renowned as the gourmet capital of Ireland. The ginger, honey, and seaweed chocolate Frank created with Dermot O’Leary when filming for Dermot’s special Taste of Ireland series last year is something to savour.

The Koko love box, €17, is an assortment of the shop’s most popular flavours: passion fruit and raspberry for a light fruitiness, champagne for bubbly elegance, and salted caramel for buttery richness.

• kokokinsale.com

The Koko love box is €17.