A secret hot chocolate salon is coming to London

If you love chocolate, you're in for a treat – this month, a secret hot chocolate salon will open its doors in London, allowing you to satisfy your sweet tooth. The best part? It's all for a good cause. 

(Above) 'The Leocadie' a vegan hot chocolate made for dark chocolate, coconut milk and chocolate shavings 

Supporting Fairtrade’s ‘She Deserves’ campaign, Rosine’s Hot Chocolate Salon will highlight the importance of giving cocoa farmers a fair living wage. The world price for cocoa has collapsed, and farmers on the Ivory Coast on average earn only 74p a day. This is £1.12 less than the living income for the country. The ‘She Deserves’ campaign by Fairtrade is hoping to establish a living income for female cocoa farmers, supported through funds raised by the salon.

Visitors to the secret hot chocolate seller will have to visit an inconspicuous newsagents in East London to find it. Hidden beneath magazine racks will be a secret button, which reveals the West-African themed speakeasy-style café.

Julia Nicoara, from the Fairtrade Foundation, said: “We’re excited to launch the immersive Rosine’s Hot Chocolate Salon, an experience that allows chocolate lovers to interact with the very people who make their favourite delight possible. This is not just any pop-up; visitors are engaged in the lives of the cocoa farmers behind a bar of chocolate, and every time you buy a Fairtrade certified product, you are making a real difference.”

'The Rosine', a classic hot chocolate with maple syrup

Named after a cocoa farmer from the Côte d’Ivoire, Rosine’s Secret Hot Chocolate Salon will serve all its creations at £1.86, the living income on the Ivory Coast. Entry to the café is free and guests can expect authentic West-African jazz music, as well as surprise appearances from celebrity ambassadors.

The hot chocolates on the menu have been created by social media influencers and chefs, including Melissa Hemsley, Tess Ward and Tom Hunt.

READ MORE: Like chocolate? Here are 11 fabulous chocolatey desserts to try in London

The salon also offers the opportunity to hear about the compelling stories surrounding the plight of cocoa farmers. With millions of farmers in the developing world not being paid enough to make a living, the cause is an important one (and a very good excuse to indulge!).

'The Genevieve' a mix of coconut milk, dark chocolate, honey, baobab and vegetarian marshmallows

All money raised by the salon will help fund programmes empowering women in West Africa, such as the Women’s School of Leadership in Côte d’Ivoire.

All images credit: Chris Terry and Iain Graham

Do you enjoy secret bars and other hidden treasures? Take a look at this secret dining room.