Words and Photography by Nadine Wilmanns
A little Chocolate Story
Of course, Anna had`t thought about love when Sebastian pulled up in his old Saab in front of her store – every week without fail all summer, even when he showered her with compliments – men like him do have that habit with every woman. And not even did she suspect anything when he asked her about her boyfriend and if they were serious and what she likes about him. To be fair this was pretty awkward, because she didn`t have a boyfriend at the time, she just said there was somebody because she was tired of men trying to ask her out. It was when he came in that Monday morning, his usual day of the week to be in town, and brought in a little golden box with a blue bow. At first she didn`t think much of it. But when he came over in his casual and cool way, as he always did and with a quick move opened the bow and held these deliciously smelling chocolaty treats under her nose, it was then when she noticed – truly noticed – that his eyes were green and blue, that he had a warm and caring smile and that he was probably somebody she would miss badly should he decide to stop stopping by on a Monday.
A little Chocolate Story






I have photographed in the little chocolate shop Leonidas in Reutlingen’s pedestrian zone twice — first for Heiko Steiner, who designed and realised the interior of the shop. (A big thank you once again to the two models Carl and Enna, who posed as the chocolate sellers for us.) And a few years later with the “real” chocolate seller, Simone Moser, who has been running the shop for over 15 years.
The shop itself has been around for over 40 years, and people even come from Stuttgart to buy the Belgian Leonidas chocolates here. They are delivered fresh from Brussels every single week.
Chocolate Smell
What I love most about this shop is honestly the smell — it smells (of course) of very elegant chocolate. A few days ago, I cycled past a Leonidas shop in Mayfair in London and thought: what a small world. Which I took as the perfect excuse to dig out these chocolate photos and come up with a little story to go along with them.
Every business has its own version of a little golden box. Let me help you find yours.
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