Beyond being a chocolate shop and cafe, the Chocolate Garden of Ireland can take you ‘behind the scenes' of chocolate making. Participate in a Chocolate Workshop and learn where this tasty treat comes from, why really good chocolate costs more and even make your own souvenir chocolate to take home!
A Sweet Stop at the Chocolate Garden of Ireland
If not for the incredibly thorough itinerary suggestions from IrishTourism.com, the Chocolate Garden of Ireland would have remained unknown to me. Located in Tullow, County Wicklow, this is a terrific stop as you head south from Dublin. Handmade chocolates, sweet biscuits and even Tipperary Ice Cream are all made here and are fresh in the shop.
Choosing what to buy can be a bit difficult – everything looks so amazing! Chocolates can be purchased pre-packaged (and make a terrific gift!) or by the piece. I highly recommend the award winning Dark Chocolate Salted Caramels, or the truffles with Irish Whiskey, Honey & Brandy or Irish Cream. The girls were partial to the molded chocolates in shapes like puppies, flowers and fancy high heeled shoes.
Or enjoy a dish of ice cream. Favorite flavors like Chocolate Truffle and Cookies & Cream share the freezer more exotic temptations like Mango and Irish Cream & Brown Bread (which is just amazing).
After making your selections, relax at one of the cafe tables with a cup of tea or hot chocolate as you nibble one of the tasty treats; or let the kids run out some of their energy on the playground while you sit and watch. There are even covered picnic areas where you can enjoy your snacks.
Attend a Chocolate Workshop
With a tiny bit of advance planning, you can attend a Chocolate Workshop. This hands on class is perfect for kids as it includes chocolate tasting, a short history of chocolate, and even a chance to make your own souvenir chocolate to take home! Parents can participate as well, or just relax and enjoy a cuppa in the cafe (if the kids are old enough to be unsupervised).
Our workshop was led by Louise, who exuberance and love of chocolate made even the history part of the workshop fun for the girls. Filled with hands on experience and chocolate tastings, the chocolate workshop ( €12.50 per person) was great fun!
| The Chocolate Garden of Ireland is located 3 miles outside Tullow on the R725 (toward Shillelagh) Note: While the address is County Carlow, the Chocolate Garden is located in County Wicklow. GPS coordinates: N52° 79.56’ W6° 66.18’The Chocolate Garden is open daily:
Mon – Sat 10am – 5pm Call ahead for workshop schedule or book online. Can't make it to the Chocolate Garden of Ireland? You can buy online.
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vacationkids Thanks for the comment! This was a really fun- and tasty- stop!
Great post…but you had me at “Chocolate” and “hands on” 😉
It’s little gems like this that make family vacations so memorable.
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