From Cocoa Beans to Chocolate Bliss: An Interview with Jens Knoop, Founder of Knoops
What inspired you to start Knoops and how did you come up with the idea for the customisable chocolate percentage menu?
I have always had a strong relationship with chocolate since my childhood in Germany when my grandmother used to reward me with milk chocolate when I’d been well-behaved. Then, while living and working in London, it struck me how there was no good drinking chocolate available – it was an afterthought on café menus. So, having moved to Sussex, I decided to have a career change and Knoops was born. I never thought my love of chocolate would become central to my career.
How did you grow Knoops from one store in Rye, East Sussex, to multiple locations, and what challenges did you face during this process?
Our Executive Chairman, William Gordon-Harris, approached me in 2019 about expanding the business and he has led the growth strategy since then. Obviously, COVID happened in the early days of our expansion, which brought with it huge challenges, but also opportunities in that we were able to continue to trade as a takeaway compared to many other high street stores that had to close.
How do you maintain the quality and consistency of your products across all your stores and the at-home range of chocolate flakes?
I handpick all the chocolates that end up on our menu wall, from the 28% White Chocolate up to our 100% Extra Dark. We offer the same range of around 20 different percentage hot chocolates across our stores – with a selection of six available as an iced chocolate or milkshake.
How do you differentiate Knoops from other chocolate stores like Hotel Chocolat, and what makes your brand unique?
As market disrupters, we are doing something completely different. Our concept is entirely focused on chocolate drinks. The process of Knoopology – where you choose your percentage of chocolate, your milk and your additional flavours – results in a highly personalised drink.
We offer coffee too, which fuels our unique mochas, but chocolate is what we are known for. Hotel Chocolat is known for eating chocolate first and foremost, and while they offer hot chocolate, it’s not their core focus. They also choose to pre-flavour some of their chocolates, while we add these fresh when we make the drink. Popular examples include sea salt, orange zest, chilli, matcha and cinnamon.
How do you plan to continue innovating and expanding the Knoops brand in the future?
I am working on developing our own chocolates with some of our suppliers, as well as considering how we can add seasonal flavours to our marshmallows. I am always tasting chocolate and experimenting with flavour combinations – there’s always a new, and surprising combination to discover. In terms of expansion, we plan to have 15 stores by the end of the summer, with an ambitious rollout throughout the UK – and beyond!
Can you tell us about any exciting upcoming products or initiatives at Knoops?
In the next few weeks, we’ll be launching our first “Dark Milk” 49% Chocolate, a delicious single origin, ideal for someone who finds milk chocolate a bit sweet but can find dark chocolate a little bitter.
What role do customer feedback and input play in the development of new products or menu items at Knoops?
We love hearing what customers have to say, and fortunately, they share their ideas via our customer surveys. We are very hopeful that very soon we’ll have vegan marshmallows – something our customers have been asking for loud and clear!
Congratulations on the upcoming opening of Knoops Manchester! What inspired you to expand your business to the North, and what can customers expect from this new location?
We’re so excited to open our first store in the North, and Manchester was an obvious first site for us. We’ve received lots of requests for it on social media. Our Cross St location is a Grade II Listed corner site and will be perfect for shoppers, tourists and students. It’s also a great date spot, with a good amount of seating.
What unique features will Knoops Knightsbridge offer, and how will it differ from your other stores?
Its amazing location, almost opposite Harrods, means it will attract a new crowd of tourists, shoppers and Knightsbridge residents. We expect it to be a popular evening destination for a sweet treat, especially for the many potential customers looking for alternatives to alcohol.
What was the process like of preparing to open a new store during the cost-of-living crisis, and how did you adapt to the changing circumstances?
Naturally, inflation has affected all businesses, as well as customers with costs proving challenging – we’ve just adapted as best we can. So far we feel really encouraged that small, affordable luxuries still have a place in people’s weekly budgets. Our hot chocolates start at £3.45, so it’s still a small treat compared to some of the bigger ticket items that people are having to cut back on.
What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to start their own food or drink brand?
Find your niche, be the best at it and your customers will follow. You must also realise that you can’t be brilliant at everything in your business. Don’t be afraid to free yourself of some of the responsibilities, so you can get on with what you are really good at. Teamwork is a recipe for success.
What’s the funniest or most surprising thing that’s ever happened at one of your Knoops stores?
After all of the effort I put into my hot chocolate menu and sourcing my first selection: the very first customer entering a Knoops store ordered a double espresso!
Also, on the first Boxing Day that we opened the store, I assumed it wouldn’t be busy. There weren’t any helpers signed up, but it was a beautiful sunny and crisp day – perfect hot chocolate weather. It was so busy that my friends had to squeeze through the crowd to help me serve everybody!
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