Harrogate family and dog friendly café gives people with learning disabilities and/or autism a helping hand

A delicious coffee and cake, lunch with a friend, or a rich, velvety hot chocolate, in a friendly and welcoming café is the perfect affordable indulgence.

But when you know that your sweet treat is also helping to provide support, training and skills to young people – and their families – giving employment opportunities and putting a smile on people’s faces, then it’s more like a gift that keeps on giving.

Harrogate Chocolate Factory Cafe is one of two social enterprises run by Skills Bridge, part of local charity, Harrogate Skills 4 Living. The other social enterprise is Harrogate Chocolate Factory, where quality chocolate products, including the hot chocolate served at the café are made.

As well as being a teaching ground, and skills centre for people with learning difficulties and/or autism, it’s also a welcome asset for locals.

For the wider Harrogate community, Harrogate Chocolate Factory Café is a little slice of heaven. From delicious cakes to a bacon buttie, creamy mushrooms on sourdough toast or a mushroom, red onion & Harrogate blue cheese toasted sandwich you will find a warm, friendly welcome. Small children are particularly at home, with sensory toys and a sensory garden to enjoy, while the four-legged members of the family are included too.

Chris Murray, from Skills 4 Living, explained how the café provides a safe place for anyone to feel comfortable.

“It’s a place where people can feel they belong and where they can join people from the local community in a comfortable setting,” he said. Here they, and their families, will find an inclusive and welcoming environment where they can relax amongst people who understand and accommodate many different needs.

Great food and a satisfied feeling

Harrogate Chocolate Factory Café, which is open six days a week and has a handy small car park for customers, will not only satisfy your hunger, but leaves customers with the warm glow of knowing they have contributed and been part of something positive and rewarding.

Euan Richie is the lead at the 26-cover café. He said: “It’s all about quality for me but at affordable prices. We use the best ingredients we can afford - and we don’t necessarily pass that cost on to the consumer.”

Suppliers include a local smokehouse, cheeses from Yorkshire and fresh delicious goodies from two local bakeries, Bakeri Baltzersen and Twos Company. “That’s how I envisage this working, supporting local companies and working in partnership,” said Euan.

“I am passionate about creating something surprising you don’t expect to find at a local café and make it worth the trip out of town. We’re in a lovely quiet spot, away from the hustle and bustle of the centre.”

And if you enjoy your tasty treats, many of the accompaniments from the menu, such as the chutneys, are also for sale in the café, as well as beautiful individual gift items such as coasters, designed and made by the students themselves.

Skills for the future

As well as providing much-needed employment and training opportunities and experience it builds skills for life.

Skills Bridge students spend time in both the chocolate manufacturing side on North Park Road, and in the café next door to the Odeon Cinema, which is open to the public six days a week.

Here they learn practical skills like customer service and cash-handling/till work, plus health and safety and food hygiene. But, as Chris explains, they are learning more than just manufacturing and hospitality skills.

“They are part of a community, they belong and are valued,” says Chris, something that is not a given for many young people. “.” “They grow or develop a social life, make friends and become a more spirited version of themselves.”

Whilst the end aim is to help students gain employment so they can have money and be financially independent, along the way they gain self-confidence, self-esteem and learn valuable life skills such as teamwork, communication and trust.

Euan says it’s wonderful to see the transformation.

“Sometimes young people come to work here and don’t like approaching the public, taking their orders etc. Then we watch them grow in confidence and skills and they blossom. It is fantastic to see,” he said.

Most students are aged 16-25 and come to the Harrogate Chocolate Factory and Café after their formal education journey finishes. They can be referred by their school, college, the council, or a family member. Others find out about the Harrogate facilities thanks to the job coaches visiting careers fairs.

Visit the café

The café, which was nominated for a customer service award at the 2023 Harrogate Food and Drink Awards, has a community space available to hire and also sells its own brand quality chocolate direct from the factory, including an Oat Chocolate bar which was granted a ‘Silver’ medal at the 2025 Free-From awards..

Café opening times are 9am-4pm Monday-Friday and 9-2.30pm on Saturday

Find out more about the organisation and the cafe