About Us

Saunders Handcrafted Chocolates is a small business, run by husband and wife team Bob and Jane Cullen.  We make all of our chocolates in a brand new production facility just outside Penrith, and very close to the stunning scenery around Ullswater in the English Lakes.  From the entrance to the Food Technology Centre where we are based, you can see for miles, and our lunch-break views would make most people envious!

Why chocolate?  Well, after military careers, we set up our first business in 1996 with a successful French Café and Bakery which we sold to finance something closer to our hearts - and much more fun!  And so 'Saunders', our very own chocolate company, was born. We learned our basic chocolate making techniques from an accomplished chocolatier - and then we spent 6 months refining the art. Several years on, we now have a range of 40 beautiful chocolates for you to choose from. Much of our time is spent on creating flavour combinations which not only sound fascinating but really work. We hope you'll enjoy browsing in our gallery.

Why Saunders? Well, there's a small island on the Western fringes of the Falkland Islands. It's home to a few humans, lots of sheep, elephant seals and rock hopper & king penguins. Months spent apart is not unusual for couples in the military but the RAF thought it would be fun to send us both to the Falklands for back-to-back tours of duty. We had a 4-day overlap which we spent, very happily, on Saunders Island. And how amazing that just recently, we were contacted by the family who have lived on Saunders Island for generations.  Several of them came to visit, and thankfully, they are happy that we chose to name our business after their island!