Features

The Choccies – The Best Chocolate of 2011

So here is what I feel are the best chocolates of 2011 - of course from those I've reviewed!

An Interview With Gareth Jenkins – Chocolate Trading Co.

Hi Gareth (Director/Co Founder of Chocolate Trading Co.), yourself and Paul have been at the forefront of selling luxury chocolate online for as long as I can remember. When and how did you get into chocolate retailing with Chocolate Trading Co.? The seed was planted around 2000 and originated from a...

A Grown Up View Of The Great Taste Awards 2011

The eternally cynical amongst us may try and mock the Great Taste Awards by saying they’re handed out like sweets and a children’s party but that’s to belittle the sense of recognition that new, small food producers take from receiving an award. I’ve been in communication with a...

A Chocolate Formula 1 Car

Chocolate companies make strange things out of chocolate to get attention, I think they could have done better than a F1 car.

Thorntons: Why You Should Have A Rethink

Thorntons have become a company that people love to be ambivalent about. That's a shame as many people won't be interested in seeing what they've got to offer. Their Academy of Chocolate Awards should be a reason for people to reassess what they think of Thorntons.

10 Sexy Chocolate Adverts Your Mother Doesn’t Want You To See

Recently more chocolate brands are using sex to try and sell their chocolate. But should they, does it work and do you actually respond positively to seeing two people "at it"? OK, you do, but will you buy more of their chocolate as a result?

Can You Make A Nice Summer Ice Lolly From Winter Gingerbread Hot Chocolate?

I found a bottle of Hotel Chocolat Gingerbread drinking chocolate and I thought I should use it. I’m not one for generally drinking hot drinks in summer, my parents always seemed to try and find the most boiling brew on the hottest day of the year. I’m more of an ice lolly man. So I wondered if...

John Costello Chocolate Selection

This is a purposely vague review. And that’s for one reason. Two of the six bon bons in this box that I picked up from the Ramsbottom Chocolate Festival will be entered for the World Chocolate Masters finals this year by John Costello. John’s a smashing bloke, but he did ask me not to publicly...

The Toblerone Ritual – TV Advert

This may be an advert, but it made me laugh! My way to eat a Toblerone is “quickly” given that my wife is the only person that buys them in this house! So it’s a slight rip-off of the Cadbury “How do you eat yours” advert, but now Cadbury is owned by the same company as...

315 Chocolate Tweeps You Can’t Afford Not To Follow

A collection of twitter users who work or are involved in the chocolate industry. Some of them are chocolate makers such as the great bean to bar guys, some make chocolate from couverture, and some are chocolate PR people, journalists or bloggers.

Pierre Marcolini Factory Tour

I must admit that the tour of Pierre's factory has to be one of the high-lights of my chocolate life. It was certainly most interesting and enlightening, but it was also great to be in the presence of such a fine chocolatier and chocolate maker.

State Of The Chocolate – 2011

So this blog is coming up to its second birthday and I was wondering what the state of the chocolate reviews were, what I’ve reviewed most of and if there’s anything I should be doing differently? Whilst playing around with the data I thought you’ll like to see how the reviews are skewed...

How To Make Your Own Easter Eggs

Who knew that doing your own homemade Easter eggs would be so much fun. It tasted interesting too. The secret is choosing the right chocolate though.

The Real Meaning Of Christmas And The Chocolate Cafe

Generosity isn't just Children in need. Nor is suffering just represented by the news. Every single day a child is abused. Although chocolate can't solve anything. It can bring joy.

The Choccies – The Best Chocolate Of 2010

A list of my favourite chocolate of 2010

The A-Z of Chocolate Makers In Five Words Or Less

A lighthearted look at chocolate makers and how they can be described in five words or less.

Rolf Harris And Wispa Gold

If no one has seen the Wispa Gold Messages website, its so damn cool. You can get a message to a loved one put up on a billboard around the country and dedicate it to someone. So if you love your Wispa Gold then why not take a look at what its all about and then get a billboard dedicated to your loved...

Baking Chocolate

It is rare indeed to find a person who does enjoy chocolate. Chocolate has a rich flavor that appeals to almost all palettes and is used for both eating and creating out-of-this-world confections. Baking chocolate is the most preferred form for professional chefs and those who cater. What Is It? There are...

English Chocolate

While England wasn’t the first country to bring chocolate to the masses, it does have a history with the confection that is hundreds of years old. Funny enough, the country could have gotten a leg up on some of the competing countries if it would have just recognized the treasure for what it was....