Top ten things to do during Chocolate Week
If you’re a chocolate addict through and through, browse through this little lot of chocolate-coated events, all laid on as part of Chocolate Week and take your pick:
The opening of the Chocolate Hotel
The Chocolate Hotel, the first hotel of its kind in the World, opens in Bournemouth. With indulgent, exclusively designed rooms, a chocolate fountain to greet guests on arrival, chocolate cocktails in the bar, chocolate tastings, chocolate workshops and of course, lots of fantastic chocolate to eat.
5 Durley Road, Bournemouth, BH2 5JQ. tel: 01202 556857
www.thechocolatehotel.co.uk £90 - £150 per night
Waitrose events
Sampling and offers at various Waitrose stores Divine, Rococo & Valrhona will be conducting tastings at selected branches throughout the week and there will be offers on Lindt, Prestat, Rococo, Valrhona and New Tree.
Divine launch their book at Borders
Divine have launched their very own recipes book, ‘Divine Heavenly Chocolate Recipes with a Heart’. This sumptuously illustrated hardback book is an unashamedly gorgeous celebration of Divine. The book is written by leading food writer and chocolate expert Linda Collister and to celebrate the launch Divine are sampling their chocolate at selected Borders book stores around the UK.
Sampling at Wholefoods
Wholefoods is the most exciting foodie event to happen to Kensington recently and we’re delighted that they’re embracing chocolate week with samples throughout the week. Depending on when you visit you can enjoy delights from Divine, Melt, Green & Black’s, Domori, Honeyrose Bakery, Pralus, Montezuma, Valrhona, Sobores Aztecas, Winon’a Organic, East of Boston Desert Sauces, The Chocolate Alchemist and Alpro Chocolate Milk.
The Wholefoods Market, Barkers Building, Kensington High Street, W8 5SE
Chocolate and cheese tasting at Paul A Young with TV chef Lotte Duncan
You might not think that chocolate and cheese go together but they do! We’ve tasted chocolate and cheese with the dynamic Mr Young before and the effect it has on your taste buds is really surprising – this is an excellent event, which will be a great experience for any foodie out there. Paul is also opening his second shop, in the Royal Exchange in the city in time for chocolate week.
Chocolate and cheese tasting, 18th October, 6.30pm-9pm. £65
33 Camden Passage, Islingon, N1 8EA. Tel: 020 7424 5750 www.paulayoung.co.uk e: info@payoung.net
Chocolate factory tour around L’artisan du Chocolat’s new studio
This is a one off open visit to the production facility in Ashford to tour the site including seeing the equipment l’artisan use to make their own chocolate from ground cocoa beans. Booking required at info@artisanduchocolat.com. Time: 10 AM sharp to 12AM Not open to visitors from the chocolate trade.
The Long Barrow, Orbital Park, Ashford, Kent, TN24 0GA
Goody bags at Rococo
Probably London’s most famous chocolate shop, Rococo in the King’s Road and Marylebone High Street are very generously giving away goody bags filled with chocolate delights with every purchase. There will also be a chocolate tasting on the hour every hour so pop in to learn about the nation’s favourite food stuff and try their delicious samples.
321 King’s Road, SW3 5EP. Tel: 020 7 352 5857 www.rococochocolates.com
45 Marylebone High Street, W1U 5HG. Tel: 020 7935 7780
Mark Hix’s cider apple brandy chocolate at Melt
Working with the renowned chef Mark Hix, chef director of Caprice Holdings, which includes The Ivy, Melt are also celebrating Apple Day with Hix’s Cider Apple Brandy chocolate. Made with apples from the from the Temperley orchards, this delicious chocolate is not to be missed. No booking , free tastings ! 11 am - 4pm at Melt.
59 Ledbury Road, Notting Hill, London. W11 2AA.
Tel: 020 7727 5030 www.meltchocolates.com
Sir Hans Sloane Chocolates
Master Chocolatier Bill McCarrick, world class Chocolatier, started his chocolate company, The Sir Hans Sloane Chocolate and Champagne House earlier this year. Bill’s is the first chocolate studio in the UK to have its own in-house chocolate conching machine and he’s holding tasting events on the Monday, Thursday and Friday of Chocolate Week at 6pm-8pm. £40
Sir Hans Sloane, Tadecity, Unit 6, Avro Way, Brooklands, Surrey, KT13 0XO
Tel: 01932 356008 to book. www.sirhanssloane.com
Damian Allsop at Danesfield House
Trained in the kitchens of Gordon Ramsay and Giorgio Locatelli, followed by 5 years in a 2 Michelin-starred restaurant in Spain, acclaimed chocolatier and pastry chef Damian Allsop has launched a range of sensational chocolates that step outside the traditional styles. Damian has developed all his own recipes to enable him to omit the use of cream in his ganaches and is hosting a tasting event at the luxurious country house Danesfield House in Marlow.
Wednesday 17th October 11am-1pm. £35
Danesfield House, Henley Road, Marlow-on-Thames, Bucks, SL7 2EY
Tel: 01628 891010