Military chef turned chocolatier wants veterans to join his Willy Wonka-style chocolate shop

A former military chef, who was medically discharged from the Army, is appealing to veterans to apply to work at his new Willy Wonka-style chocolate shop.

Liam Hall served as a lance corporal military chef in the Royal Logistics Corps (RLC) and was medically discharged in 2012 following a diagnosis of Crohn's disease.

He toured with the RLC to Iraq, Canada, Belgium, Germany and Ireland and said he was only 26 when he was forced to leave his "dream job".

• Sitrep: Don't be Jack – how military veterans can serve again, this time in politics
• Triple amputee veteran attempts to become first to cross Pacific Ocean unsupported
• The last of The Few: Battle of Britain fighter pilot celebrates 105th birthday

"It was a very hard time for me when I left the military because of it being something I'd always wanted to do, something I'd always seen myself doing and suddenly I'd got nothing," he explained.

After leaving the Army, Liam found work as a civilian chef but the pandemic forced him into unemployment where he started making chocolate treats at home and posting them on social media.

He now provides treats for many Armed Forces museums and sites including the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

From his experiences, the 37-year-old hopes to use his new chocolate shop to help veterans who are out of work.

"We want to employ veterans. We want to help just like I got help and support when I left the military," he said.

The Poppy Factory helped Liam find work and the chef says he now wants to give back.

He said: "We want to get people in the kitchen working that have either been injured, that are finding it a bit hard to find work again.

"We would rather have a group of veterans working in the kitchen than buying a big machine doing it all."

Liam said he is working closely with local charities to help open the doors to the veteran community.

The former Army chef was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease, after falling ill while deployed on Op Telic in Iraq.

He was quickly diagnosed through the help of the military and his medical officer.

Liam said: "People don't know that I'm ill," adding that he used to have a stoma – an opening in his stomach used to empty his bowel – but he said he didn't let it stop him from doing things.

His shop, Military Chef, is located in Sutton Coldfield in Birmingham. It hosts chocolate making, which can be watched through the shop's window, workshops, parties and makes delicious treats available to buy in-store.