Cambridge Chocolate Festival
cambridgechocolatefestival@gmail.com
At the beginning of the year Riadh Falvo announced, “I’m getting a tattoo, and a puppy!” and she did. Though not entirely in that order. The puppy came first.
Following on from the sell-out success of the debut Cambridge Chocolate Festival in 2022, Riadh planned and executed a second choc-tastic event for Valentine’s 2023.
The festival, was held in the Cambridge Union Society’s historic debating chamber on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th February, launching with a tempting cocktail night on Friday 10th February at The Orator – just in time for the start of the Valentine’s celebrations.
Riadh is the curator of boutique batch chocolatier Bumble & Oak and assistant to ‘Truffle’ the festival’s chocolate cocker spaniel brand ambassador. She is also a photographer, freelance writer, and contributor to Velvet* Magazine and other local publications including our very own The Indie. Her strong background in graphic design and content creation lends itself to her being a social media maven for a growing number of small, independent businesses.
Alongside all the chocolate at the festival this year there were stalls from other independent businesses, including fellow Indie Cambridge Members Janet Fox of Small and Green and Suzannah Wansell of Meadows Cambridge. The events partner sponsor was another Member, Nathaniel Mahoney of Online High Street.
Inclusivity and collaboration amongst independent businesses is important to Riadh and at the 2023 festival she included up-and-coming artists and designers by running a Cambridge Chocolate Festival logo contest. Local student artists were invited to submit their logo design idea which were then shortlisted to five. Those designs were then put to a public vote at the festival, with the winning design being used as the 2024 events logo taking place next February. It also provided inspiration for Riadh’s tattoo, which as promised, she got!