International Women's Day is taking place on March 8th 2025. This year’s theme, Accelerate Action, calls for the urgent advancement of gender equality. At hampers.com, we firmly believe that meaningful change must take place, now. There is no better time to break down barriers for women in business and challenge inequality.
One way in which hampers.com champions gender equality is by actively working with women-owned makers and producers, wherever possible. Through these conscious choices, hampers.com aims to advance economic empowerment and create a more balanced and equitable marketplace for all.
In this blog, hampers.com interviews Linda Barrie, Founder of Choc Affair, to learn about her journey as a female entrepreneur. Read on to meet Linda and learn all about her story of building Choc Affair into a thriving business.
introducing Linda Barrie, Founder of Choc Affair
Linda Barrie, Founder of Choc Affair, exemplifies the essence of a female entrepreneur dedicated to social responsibility and empowerment. At the heart of Linda's business is a commitment to creating opportunities for individuals from all walks of life. At Choc Affair, everyone, regardless of gender or background, is treated with fairness and dignity.
Under Linda's leadership, Choc Affair fosters an inclusive workplace where employees are paid the Real Living Wage. Linda's vision extends beyond the company itself, as she believes in giving back to both local communities and cocoa-growing regions. Through doing so, Choc Affair reinforces the idea that businesses have a shared responsibility to combat inequality.
hampers.com interviews Linda Barrie...
hampers.com: What inspired you to start, own or lead your own business?
Linda: This will sound strange, but I was inspired to start the business initially because I thought I could work from home making the chocolate, (which I did initially) and by doing so, have more time with my daughters. It didn't quite work out like that, as very soon it took over the house, and time was the last thing I had! I began the business alongside a part time job, and it was challenging at times, simply due to time restraints and raising a young family.
hampers.com: What challenges did you overcome during this process, specifically as a woman entrepreneur?
Linda: I don't know whether I was particularly lucky, but when I look back, I don't feel I had any additional challenges, other than those that come with starting up any business - getting suppliers in place, buying equipment and then going out to find my customers.
Chocolate itself can be frustrating to work with. It is easy to get the tempering process wrong and to have to begin a batch again, which I did a lot in the early days. I found everyone in the industry to be extremely friendly and helpful and we still work with some of those same suppliers today which is very rewarding.
hampers.com: What advice would you give to other women looking to break into your industry or start their own businesses?
Linda: Don't overthink it, or you won't ever start. Accept that it is a risk and whilst you can try to minimise that risk, there is still a huge possibility it may not succeed. It will be your passion and enthusiasm that will keep you going when things get tough, and you'll need that zeal and energy! Expect it to be harder than anything else you've ever done, and enjoy the journey. There's nothing quite like being in business for yourself.
Choc Affair: promoting empowerment and equality
hampers.com: What does this year’s International Women’s Day theme mean to you, and how do you reflect on its significance in your business?
Linda: At Choc Affair, it's always been about empowering people, from all kinds of walks of life. All our team are paid the Real Living Wage, regardless of their gender. We strive to recruit a diverse range of people, and support them in building skills and knowledge to succeed in future aspirations.
We all need the opportunity to grow, which is why as a business, we've always given back, both locally and to our cocoa growing communities. It matters and we have a shared responsibility in this. No one in this day and age should face inequality, it simply isn't right. We all need to do more to play our part to prevent this from happening.
Within Chocolate & Co, the charity we're part of, we've seen how inequality due to stigma affects people first hand. Labelled and stereotyped, it limits opportunities in many areas of life, including employment, housing and healthcare. We are driving change in this area within our community, and so have the joy of seeing the good bits, too!
Our cafe supervisor Lisa, has just left us to start a new job working for the very rehab programme that she attended. Lisa began working with us when she came out of the program and was very early in her sobriety journey. We've witnessed her personal growth as she's overcome so much stigma and many challenges. Watching her begin to believe in herself and seeing her blossom has been a true privilege.
Personally, I deeply believe that we have a shared responsibility to help those around us grow into who they were designed to become - strong, confident and giving, with an understanding that life is hard for many people. When we do, we all benefit and life becomes that bit sweeter.