The Vision
A new reference point for chocolate.
Meret is a bean-to-bar chocolate house — the entire process, from roasting the beans to making the bars, takes place on site in central London. The brand is brought to you by a team that has shaped modern chocolate, art, food and fashion.
An immersive sensory experience in London's retail landscape, and a brand built to become the reference point for quality in modern chocolate.
The Name
A little craft, wit, and subversion.
In 1936, Meret Oppenheim sat in a Paris café with Dora Maar and Pablo Picasso. Picasso joked that anything could be covered in fur. "Even this cup and saucer," Oppenheim replied. "Imagine drinking thick hot chocolate out of it."
She went on to make exactly that. The fur-lined cup became one of the most famous surrealist works of the century. The name carries craft, wit, and a little subversion — and it rewards the curious.
The Market
A category the size of coffee — barely begun on craft.
Global chocolate industry each year — comparable in size to coffee.
Of chocolate is speciality grade — against roughly 20% of coffee.
The growth rate of craft chocolate versus commercial — on provenance, health and curiosity.
London — one of the most experientially spoilt cities on earth — has no serious bean-to-bar institution.
The Chocolate
Made in the proper way.
Most chocolate is ultra-processed and additive-heavy. Even self-described luxury maisons outsource manufacturing and build on mediocre beans. Few people — even here — have tasted cacao at its highest quality.
Meret's sourcing comes from 35 years working directly with cooperatives and estates across the cacao-growing regions — access to some of the best beans on earth.
Retail
Retail as opera.
The shop is the product. Full bean-to-bar production on display — combined with branding, participatory tasting and olfactory immersion — turns a visit into a sensory journey and a destination, not a transaction. Customers are guided through the process, offered samples across origins, and handed a spoon straight from the mélanger.
The offer
15 chocolate bars across percentages, beans and additions · Truffle gift boxes · Hot & iced chocolate · Sorbet, ice cream & granita · Speciality coffee · Select baked goods · Merchandise · Tastings, workshops, and private & corporate events
The Sites
Two stores by 2028, four by 2030.
27 Chiltern Street, W1
Under offerLaunch November 2026 · 1,000 sq ft. Boutique and production on one of London's best streets for independent luxury retail.
Hackney Road Flagship, E5
In negotiationLaunch March 2028 · 3,500 sq ft. A period warehouse: café and workshop below, tastings and events above. The maker's home.
The Team
A team that has shaped its fields.
Matthew Slotover
Founder
Co-founded Frieze magazine and the Frieze Art Fair, recently re-sold for $200m. Launched Toklas restaurant in 2021 (£6m revenue, 12% profit). OBE for services to the arts.
Chloé Doutre-Roussel
Chocolate Director
One of the world's leading chocolate authorities. 35 years of sourcing and tasting. Former buyer for Fortnum & Mason.
Misan Shaheen
Head Chocolatier
Former head pastry chef at Joe Beef (Montreal) and St. John (London). A chocolatier with a pastry chef's palate.
Peter Miles
Creative Partner
Art director of quiet, enduring identities: Bottega Veneta, Céline, Gabriela Hearst, and films for Sofia Coppola.
The Model
Why it works commercially.
Hot chocolate, coffee, ice cream, cookies and pastries — daily footfall.
Bars, truffles and gifting at the highest margin.
Direct ecommerce from the shop.
Tastings, workshops and private & corporate hire.
Four revenue streams from one footprint. The model is hub-and-spoke: each boutique is a profitable retail node, and the Hackney flagship is the production engine that supplies them all. A proven unit, a repeatable rollout.
Projected revenue from the single Chiltern site in its first full year (2027) — already EBITDA positive.
The Numbers
Consolidated P&L, 2026–2031.
| 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | 2031 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sites | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Revenue | 147 | 1,036 | 2,929 | 4,482 | 6,402 | 7,081 |
| Gross margin | n.a. | 60% | 65% | 66% | 67% | 66% |
| EBITDA | (390) | 112 | 804 | 1,207 | 1,678 | 1,815 |
EBITDA turns positive in 2027, the first full year of trading, and grows with every site. 2026 is the launch-investment year. Revenue reaches roughly £7.1m by 2031.
The Ask
Founding investment
Minimum ticket
£50,000
Valuation
£3m pre-money
Target return
27% IRR
S/EIS
Pre-approval in process
Use of funds — Chiltern Street launch, lease premium, fit-out, machinery, and first-year operations.
A London Bean-to-bar Chocolate House
Max Dubiel
max@meret.uk
07726 466642
Matthew Slotover
matthew@meret.uk
07710 130709