Vangarde 5th anniversary celebrated with giant chocolate sculpture by TV chocolatier
Vangarde Shopping Park in York is celebrating its fifth anniversary with a weekend of special events over Easter and a four-foot tall chocolate sculpture.
TV chocolatier Ashley McCarthy will unveil the edible creation on Thursday 18 April in the entrance of John Lewis at Vangarde. It will be in place for public viewing before being donated to and auctioned off by York Against Cancer on Easter Monday.
Local chef and chocolatier Ashley McCarthy features on Channel 4’s new series ‘Extreme Chocolate Makers’ which is set to air over Easter.
Ashley says: “I’m honoured to have been asked to create this huge piece for the Vangarde birthday weekend. The sculpture is certainly ambitious and will look spectacular once it’s in place.
“I wanted to feature elements of the shopping park within the sculpture, particularly its dedication to the environment and local community.”
Vangarde is planning Easter family fun, including special chocolate-making demonstrations by Ashley McCarthy, competitions, face painting and giveaways throughout Easter Saturday.
Centre Manager Deborah O’Donnell says: “We are so excited about the fifth birthday celebrations. I can’t believe five years has gone as quick as it has.
“The Vangarde team and tenants are really proud to have played a part in helping the shopping park grow in popularity in such a short amount of time.”
The park opened in 2014 to provide York’s only John Lewis department store, the region’s largest M&S store and a state-of-the-art Next store, alongside numerous eateries. Vangarde has maintained aims to be one of the most sustainable retail developments in the UK.
