Not many people can say they’ve been turned into a fictional character.

But this spring, something truly extraordinary happened. My dear friend and acclaimed author Joanne Harris released her new novel Vianne — and hidden between its pages was a character who felt oddly familiar.

A chocolatier named Gee. A man with fire, flair, and a taste for justice. A man, Joanne later told the BBC, inspired by… me.

Now, I’m rarely short of words — especially not when it comes to chocolate — but that revelation? That nearly rendered me speechless.

Chocolate, Stories, and Shared Tables

Joanne and I first crossed paths through a shared love of story and flavour — both of us straddling the worlds of narrative and nosh. I’d long admired her work; Chocolat was a touchstone for me, as it is for many of us in the cocoa world. But it was in the rainforest, amongst the cocoa trees, that our friendship truly took root.

We cracked open fresh pods. We cooked over smoke in the heart of the forest. And we talked — about chocolate, yes, but also about what it represents. Memory. Comfort. Resistance. Ritual.

When Joanne told me that Gee was based on me, it didn’t feel like flattery. It felt like something deeper — a recognition, a weaving-in. As though I’d been written into a legacy of flavour and fiction.

 Filming The One Show

To celebrate the launch of Vianne, Joanne invited me into her home kitchen — and the BBC joined us for a very special segment of The One Show.

We made chocolate the old-fashioned way. No machines. No shortcuts. Just a slab of São Tomé single origin, a swirl of Yorkshire honey, and two friends rolling truffles, sharing stories, and laughing like old schoolmates.

It was one of those rare moments where everything — the cameras, the recipe, the setting — felt effortlessly real. You can catch it here if you missed it:

Introducing: Ganache de Marseille

Inspired by Vianne, I created something special for the occasion — the Ganache de Marseille.

This recipe isn’t just chocolate. It’s a mood. Rich, honest, ever so slightly mischievous, and deeply comforting — just like the book. It's made with São Tomé chocolate, Cridling Honey, and a whisper of Provençal flair. I like to think of it as the edible version of a good story: it lingers.

The Real Magic of Chocolate

In Vianne, Joanne writes about the alchemy of chocolate — not just how it melts, but how it mends. How it stirs memories. How it comforts grief and whispers to the soul. It’s something I feel every time I’m in the kitchen, teaching students, consulting in Africa, or crafting a new blend.

Chocolate, to me, is more than flavour.

It’s future.
It’s family.
It’s story.
It’s soul.

And now, thanks to Joanne, it’s fiction too.

Fancy a Taste of the Story?

Come and see what all the fuss is about — watch the full One Show feature, try the Ganache de Marseille, or simply curl up with a good book and a better bar of chocolate.

Because chocolate this personal deserves to be shared.