Meet Claire Gilbertson – the crystal-infused, reiki-charged Spiritual Chocolatier

Elizabeth Harris | 29th March 2018

The Spiritual Chocolatier Claire Gilbertson with her hand-made chocolates. Photo by Elspeth Moore.

Claire Gilbertson gave up her career in the travel industry to indulge in her three passions – reiki, crystals and chocolate in her Manchester kitchen.

As The Spiritual Chocolatier, mother-of-two Claire creates a chocolate collection every month, each with a different theme. All of the months are crystal-infused and reiki-charged, but each have different flavours to match the theme.

VIVA met Claire, 36, to find out more.

Tell us more about The Spiritual Chocolatier… 

Each month a new collection comes out, it has a different theme. Dependent on the theme I try to get flavours that will match that. So, February’s was a love and empowerment box, so the flavours in there are ginger, mint, cinnamon, cherry, vanilla, strawberry and champagne and then a solid 70% Ecuador chocolate.

The Spiritual Chocolatier – crystals, reiki and chocolate. Photo by Elspeth Moore.

How did The Spiritual Chocolatier come about?

I’ve worked in travel, in the police, trained to be a massage therapist but nothing just ticked the boxes. Not like this does. So, I found a course at Slattery’s for chocolatier training, which was a huge investment but absolutely worth it because I haven’t stopped since. Then I started a business Mr. Bee & Mr. Bat, just making for family and friends. Then they got passed on to a five-star boutique hotel in Chester, where they used them as petit fours. So, I decided I would give up my job in travel and go full time making them, doing that and markets.

Then The Spiritual Chocolatier came from when I met a lady, Denise, who used to have a chocolate shop and knows everything about numerology. She wanted me to do some chocolates for her group. After talking we realized we could add more elements to it like the reiki and the crystal infusing.

Every chocolate is hand-made with love. Photo by Elspeth Moore.

How are the chocolates made and reiki charged?

When I buy my chocolate in from Belgium, they come in little buttons. I then melt them down and temper them. I make a very small batch because it’s just me. When that’s tempering I do a crystal grid around it and that how I infuse it.

When they are all boxed up and ready to go is when I reiki charge them. I am reiki trained level two and I hope to do my Masters soon. I spend a few minutes passing on the reiki energy.

Claire making a batch of chocolates at home her in North Manchester

 How do you think of your collections each month?

Denise helps me a lot, I have planned that I’m going to do an angel box. I write loads of different flavours and ideas down and then see where it flows.

How far advance do you plan the collections?

It can all be a bit last minute, because I also have a day job working in a coffee shop and another chocolate business, Mr. Bee & Mr. Bat, and I’m mum-of-two. So many hours of the evening when the kids are in bed go into it but I kind of have a plan of which box are coming up. So that I have a theme to work around. But I like it because like with this collection, everything just slotted in.

A Spiritual Chocolatier box. Photo by Elspeth Moore.

What does your collection for March consist of?

The collection is themed around manifesting, the process that if you think about something that you want and imagine it and then allow yourself to receive it, the universe answers you to allow you to have what you’ve wanted.

Each of the seven chocolates in the box have a different flavour that assists with the elements of the manifesting theme. One of the chocolates is a lemon verbena truffle to bring inspiration and positivity, another consisting of lime and basil to bring balance and focus and a jasmine truffle to give you a positive outlook and to be grateful for what you have.

Alongside this there is also, a chai chocolate to present clear thinking and clarity, Earl Grey for calming and cleansing, juniper berry bringing grounding and a honey and chamomile to bring confidence and courage for reaching your dreams. You need all of those things to do the manifesting, which is why I’ve come up with those flavours.

Alongside the seven chocolates in the box you also receive a crystal, March’s being the citrine crystal to attract health, wealth and happiness in to your life and to give you the courage you need in order to as for what you heart desires.

It doesn’t take us long to empty a Spiritual Chocolatier box. Photo by Elspeth Moore.

 Where did the idea of placing crystals in the box come from?

I love my crystals, I keep them all over. That’s because each different crystal brings a different element. I love the idea of adding crystals. The manifesting number in numerology is eight and its an eleven year and their £11 a month so it’s a big connection.

Citrine crystal received in March’s box

Your business is very unique, do you know of any others that do what you do?As far as I know I’m the only one in the UK and I can’t find anyone else in the world that does what I do, so it’s a very unique thing. There is a market for this, the online market for all things spiritual is huge. It is very well received.

Who are most of your clients?

Most of my clients are women and they are from all over. Its about self-love and treating yourself to things rather than necessarily having other buy them for you. So, although they work well as a present its more a present from yourself to yourself. But I’ve had people as far away as America and Portugal message me, and one lady that was from New Zealand.

What’s the next step forward for The Spiritual Chocolatier?

I am going to aim to get a subscription box going, so people pay monthly, so that I know how many I need to make. Then can have a few spares for new people.

For more details visit: The Spiritual Chocolatier.

Claire with chef Jean-Christophe Novelli