A NORTH Yorkshire family has paid tribute to an “always positive” Richmond business-owner who died unexpectedly on Tuesday.

Dennis Graves owned and ran Mocha chocolate shop with his wife Elizabeth and had recently started to expand to open a new chocolate making facility in Aske.

Mr Graves was a much-loved chocolatier and husband and “threw himself” into everything he did, being an active member of Richmond’s cultural life at Richmond Business and Tourism Association.

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Being involved in a number of community projects in the town, such as Richmond tidy-up in 2019 and helping to organise the Christmas market, Dennis was well-known and the Facebook post announcing his death has received 397 comments and 785 reactions so far.

Mark Allatt, Dennis’s brother-in-law, said:“He threw himself into his business with my sister, they jointly ran that, and also the cultural life of Richmond.

“He would just do anything for anyone, he was always upbeat and always positive, always full of energy.

“We used to nickname him Mr Fix It because he could literally fix anything with his sort of mechanical abilities.

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“I think he’d just taken on a new hobby to restore and overhaul a motorbike and he would only be doing it a few months and then he would be on a global forum with people doing the same thing.

“As with anything with Dennis, anything he touched he did to perfection and the bits he was restoring were like new.

“He and my sister Elizabeth had set up this Mocha business in Richmond where he was the chocolatier.

“He made all the handmade artisan chocolates for them and they literally, no lying, they were literally the best chocolates you will ever taste.

“They were so full of flavour, when they said it was a lemon zing, it was a lemon zing that would hit you between the eyes, they were just absolutely remarkable.

“He has tried a lot of things but I think he had really found his calling with chocolate making and he absolutely loved it. My sister and Dennis set up their business I think it was eight years ago now and it has been a phenomenal success.

“The heart of it was the chocolates that Dennis made because that’s what made them unique and different and that was all his creations.

“Sadly his death was completely unexpected to people, he was as fit as a fiddle, completely unexpected, I was away on Tuesday.

“Then he wasn’t feeling very well on the morning went into hospital and then died in the afternoon, so completely unexpected.

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“He will leave a very, very big whole for a lot of people.”

MP and Chancellor Rishi Sunak who opened the Mocha chocolate shop, said: "This is a terrible loss for Elizabeth and the family and my thoughts are with them.

"They had created a great small enterprise in Mocha, had weathered the last 18 months and had exciting plans for the future.

"Richmond has lost a leading and innovative member of its business community.”

One Facebook commenter said: "So sorry to hear this sad news. Thinking of Liz and all the Mocha family. Dennis was a lovely man with time for everyone and will be greatly missed."

Another person commented: "Devastating news to lose such a terrific all round guy. Thinking of you all at Mocha, particularly Liz. Heartfelt and deepest condolences."

One Facebook user said: "Oh my god! So sorry to hear of this! Dennis was a lovely man and it was an absolute pleasure to of known him. Thoughts are with his family!"

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