Tara Gartlan Chocolate
Best Food and Drink finalist - Monaghan Business & Tourism Awards
Tell us about your business and team:
There is a very small team at Carrickmacross-based Tara Gartlan Chocolate. At the start it was just owner Tara, with some help from her mum Angela. Now Tara has one permanent part-time employee and is on the look-out for a full-time and another part-time worker to help with the demand for her luxurious chocolates suitable for coeliacs. “I think the fact that we are a small business makes a difference because I know all the names of customers, I see all the orders coming in and I read every email,” Tara says. “I love to share my passion about chocolate and the versatility of it.”
Describe the best thing about your service:
All of the products at Tara Gartlan Chocolate are gluten free, as Tara herself is a coeliac. Tara believes however that her products taste just as good as those that do contain gluten, entering products in the “normal categories,” not the “free from” categories for award.
To date Tara Gartlan Chocolate has won multiple Blas na hEireann and Great Taste Awards, including the highly coveted 3-star Great Taste. Tara focuses on the little things to set the business apart, like with every online order, the customer receives a hand-written note. It also uses different Irish suppliers for its seasonal lines Carrickmacross Honey or Harry’s Nut butter in Dublin.
What’s the best business advice you’ve ever been given?
When I first started working as a chef, I was told “Everyone is a VIP.” It was the best piece of advice I received, and I’ve applied it throughout my career and especially now with my own business. All customers are treated as though they are the most important.
What does the future hold for your business?
Creating Tara Gartlan Chocolate is my dream. From taking online orders, we have just started to supply two shops and we aim to expand into Northern Ireland, UK and mainland Europe. In addition to that, we hope to continue adding new products to the product range.