Delicious UK - (03)March 2020

WORDS:

PHOEBE

STONE.

SOURCE

FOR

STATISTICS:

THE

NATIONAL

AUTISTIC

SOCIETY

deliciousmagazine.co.uk 13

THEPIONEERMonaShah,founderand

MDofchocolatierHarrySpecters

THEMISSIONChocolatewasneverpartofthe

planforMona.Butsheandherhusband

Shazhavea son,Ash,whohasautism–

a developmentaldisabilitythataffectshow

peopleperceivetheworldandinteractwith

others.Monaexplains,“Wewereworried

aboutwhatAshwasgoingtodooncehe

leftfull-timeeducation– andspeakingto

otherparents,theyhadthesameworries.”

Monahadbeenworkingincorporate

governancewhen,in2011,thefamily

visiteda chocolateshopinScotland.

Inspiredbywhatshesaw,Monasignedup

fora courseattheChocolateAcademyin

Banbury,Oxfordshire.“WhileI wasthere,

I realisedthatmakingchocolateis

repetitive,structuredwork,aswellas

beingtherapeuticandsensory,”shesays.

“Iwenthomeandsaid‘I haveanidea...’”

BackhomeinCambridgeshire,Monagot

a table-toptemperingmachineandstarted

puttingherideaintoaction,launchingthe

businessonlineinNovember2012.Her

son,now21,andhispassionforfoodare

behindthenameoftheenterprise:asa

youngteenager,Ashhadsaidheplanned

toopena restaurantnamedHarrySpecters.

There’snowa retailoutletinCambridge’s

Grafton shopping centre and a production

premisesinEly,employingsixpeoplewith

autism.Threeworkfulltime,theothers

twotothreedaysa week,anda further

10 peoplehavebeentrainedforwork

attimeswhenthere’shighdemand.

Thecompanyproducesanannual

reporttomeasureitssocialimpact:from

2012 to2018,morethan 400 people–

includingyoungpeoplewithautismand

theirparentsandcarers– benefitedfrom

placements,trainingopportunitiesand

workshopsat special-needsschools.

“Formostofthem,it’sthefirstpay

chequethey’veeverhad,andit’ssogood

fortheirself-esteem,”saysMona.Work

experienceplacementshelpyoungpeople

withautismdiscoverwhattheyhavean

aptitudefor,frompackaging,accounting

anddesigntomakingchocolates.Harry

Spectersalsopaysan8 percentpremium

onthecacaosourcedfromfarmers.

“There’sa misconceptionthatthosewith

autism require special workplaces,” says

Mona.“Theonlythingwedois givethem

a lotofsupport,encouragingthemtolearn

fromtheirmistakesandaskquestions.”

WHYITMATTERSA reportbytheNational

AutisticSocietyin 2016 foundjust 32 per

centofthe700,000autisticpeopleinthe

UKareinsometypeofpaidwork,and

77 percentofthosewhoareunemployed

wouldliketobeworking.“Autisticpeople

havesomuchtooffer,”saysMona.“When

peopledon’tthinkAshis goodenoughto

bepaid,thathurts.It’sdemoralising.”

Greg,21,anassistantchocolatier,says,

“You’llneverknowhowextremelygrateful

I am.HarrySpectersgavemea chance

whennooneelsewould.”Others,like

Rachel,gainedtheskillstomoveontonew

pastures.SaysMonaproudly:“Itrainedher

asa chocolatierandshewassupervising,

doingtheinventory,makingchocolates.”

Rachelnowhasa jobatAmazon.

Monaoffersworkexperiencetopeople

asyoungas15.Jess,17,beganwork

experiencelastyear.“Myconfidencehas

grownandI thoroughlyenjoymytimeat

thefactory,”shesays.“I’velearnednew

skillsandI’mfarbetteratorganising

myself.”ForMona,commentslike these

makeeverydayworthwhile.

OrderchocolatesandEaster eggs from

harryschocs.co.uk

making a difference.

You’llneverknowhow

gratefulI am.Thisplace

gavemea chancewhen

nooneelsewould

GREG, ASSISTANT CHOCOLATIER

Chocolate is changing lives

Sweet success (left to right): Mona Shah demonstrates her skills; Harry Specters’ Easter collection; Ash Shah gives autism a positive public face

Toooften,youngpeoplewithautismlackconfidenceandhavedicultyfindingwork.

Now there’s a social enterprise that gives them hope in the most appetising of ways