This Life: Ruth Hinks

The champion chocolatier and founder of the award-winning Cocoa Black on thriving in Peebles, experimenting with flavours and living life to the max.

- Catherine Coyle

Taking it easy is not something that Ruth Hinks does very often. Even after a glass or two of wine at the weekend with her husband David, when most of us would be putting our feet up and perhaps settling down with a movie, she is busy signing up for the Edinburgh half-marathon. She’s laughing as she tells this story, all too aware that it is entirely typical of her personality. Setting goals, rolling up her sleeves for a bit of hard graft, and pushing herself out of her comfort zone is what she does best – and it’s what has led to her successes, of which there are many.

“I remember as a kid wanting to buy a tape deck,” recounts Hinks, who grew up in South Africa. “My father had suggested growing vegetables to sell but I thought that would take too long. I’d always spent a lot of my time in the kitchen with my granny, who was a great baker, so I decided to make Easter eggs instead.” She is the first to admit that her parents – her father, in particular – had much to do with her work ethic. They were the ones who instilled in her an unshakable belief that hard work is the only way to get what you want. “Things don’t fall into your lap,” she says. “They were really keen for me to learn the value of money.”