An immersive exhibition all about chocolate is coming to the Old Royal Naval College in time for Easter – recreating one of Greenwich’s long-lost attractions.
Chocolate House Greenwich will revive the Tosier Chocolate House, a venue for the movers and shakers of the 18th century when the town was a hub for astronomy, science and culture.
Visitors will be able to get to know the house’s flamboyant owner, Grace Tosier, who ran the business while her husband Thomas ran the chocolate kitchen at Hampton Court for King George I.
The exhibition will trace the journey of chocolate from Central America to its impact on Georgian society, and the audio and visual experience will introduce the architect behind the Old Royal Naval College, Sir Christopher Wren, the writer and diarist John Evelyn, the first astronomer royal John Flamsteed, and the playwright and architect John Vanbrugh.
There will also be a series of hands-on chocolate-themed and chocolate making workshops, an Easter trail for families, and a “choc-o-late” event in the summer.
Chocolate House Greenwich will open on Good Friday, March 29, and will run until November 3. Admission is included in the £3 cost of an adult ticket to the Discover Greenwich centre, while children go free. Visitors to the Painted Hall will also have admission included in their tickets.
In December, the Old Royal Naval College hosted the spectacular Coalescence artwork, made from 2,500 pieces of coal, in the Painted Hall. The exhibition came as councillors heard that tourism in Greenwich was likely to exceed pre-pandemic levels last year, beating tourism chiefs’ expectations.
More details about Chocolate House Greenwich can be found on the Old Royal Naval College website.