The chocolate shop and cafe at Hellesdon Barns in Norwich was named the winner of the Bespoke Food/Drink Offering category and was also a finalist for the Best Coffee Shop/Cafe award.

And it clearly meant a lot to the overjoyed team to have won.

It has been a long journey for Marcela - literally. She and her husband, Tiago, moved to the UK from Brazil in 2016 and she began Emporium in 2019 while on maternity leave with her daughter.

Brazilian Brigadieros are Marcela's speciality. (Image: Emporium Norwich)

She started out handcrafting brigadeiros - a traditional Brazilian truffle-style sweet treat, made with chocolate, cream and condensed milk.

During the pandemic she began selling them at farmers' markets around the county, providing a little bit of cheer during what was a very difficult time. And in 2023, Marcela opened her destination shop and cafe on the outskirts of Norwich.

Marcela is an alchemist of all things chocolate and........

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