Helen Pattinson, Co-founder of Montezuma's Chocolate: Listen, but don’t be scared to challenge

Tuesday, 11 June 2019

Helen graduated from King's College, London with a first class degree in Maths and Management in 1992 and went on to graduate from the College of Law with distinction.  She qualified as a solicitor with City law firm, Lawrence Graham two years later, choosing to specialise in corporate law. After working on several AIM flotations, Helen was convinced that she wanted to set up her own business and during a year long trip to South America, Helen and her husband Simon developed a passion for all things chocolate and the idea for Montezuma's was born.

Montezuma's Chocolates is now arguably the UK's most innovative chocolate manufacturer with multiple sales channels. Award winning in its first year, Montezuma's continues to win awards for its premium chocolate bars and truffles and produces all of its chocolate on the Sussex coast. Helen and Simon still run the business and are driven by their mission to become Britain’s greatest little chocolate company!   With three young daughters, Helen is passionate about inspiring the young women in the business that ‘you can have it all’.

Helen’s Top Tips

• Be passionate about your product or service, it will take over your life and you’ll have to make sacrifices for it so you have to be believe in it wholeheartedly.
• Be critical.  Of advice from consultants, anybody who tries to tell you that you need to change your business and any others who have no real proven track record of having done it themselves.  Listen but don’t be scared to challenge.
• Penny-pinch.  Look after the pennies and preserve the cash.