FORMER Haslemere Community Rugby Club stalwart Sam Part is now making big strides in the chocolate industry.

Ex-Bohunt student Sam, now aged 26, started ‘Candy Mechanics’ straight after graduating from Kingston University in 2015, with help from two Haslemere business “angels” – Matthew Bowcock, a Hazelhurst Trust founder and his former rugby coach, plus family friend technology executive Mark Whitby.

Thanks to Sam’s innovative twist in enabling customers to ‘personalise‘ their confectionery, he is now celebrating a partnership deal with leading manufacturer Godiva Chocolates that might see Candy Mechanics on sale at its 500 outlets around the world.

Sam’s big idea came when he created a lollipop of his own head that won a prestigious D&AD New Blood design award.

Thanks to popular demand, Candy Mechanics now has seven full-time staff and is poised to launch an equity crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs to fund further technological developments.

“I was very lucky to meet up with Matthew and Mark,” Sam said.

“They are both hugely influential day to day.

“We are trying to add value through personalising our product and everyone loves the idea, because they can relate to it.

“We can scan a face in 30 seconds and turn it into a file that machines can understand and manufacture.

“Willy Wonka had lots of people helping, this will be the first automated personalised chocolate factory.

“I haven’t done it on my own, I have an amazing co-founder Chris Tait, who is chief technical officer, and a leading chocolate taster, Will Leigh.”

•To support the Seedrs campaign go to www.candymechanics.com.