The Speciality Chocolate Fair 2010

So spent near on 7 hours getting to and from the Speciality Chocolate Fair held at the Kensington Olympia yesterday – but it was worth it and I’m going to cut right to the chase that the highlight was tasting the Valrhona chocolate from Oddono’s Gelati Italiani which you can find at 14 Bute Street, London. There was, of course, much, much more to the show than a small tub of ice cream.

What I love about these shows is that you get to meet new chocolate brands, and the people behind them, that you’d probably never get to meet. For instance I found out about some new chocolate brands from Ecuador which I’m going to bump along the reviews list and try out properly his week. I might some nice people at Danucci, Pourtoi and Tray Bakes who I’d not known before and gave samples. Also Rococo and Duffy gave some more samples which I’m also eager to review (including trying one bar not on sale yet) and I’d also had some on my way from Plush who were also there.

I think I’ve already got everything from Devnaa either reviewed or awaiting review so I didn’t bring anything back from their selection, although they did mention a pretty fab new addition to their product line coming out soon. There were also a whole heap of other companies that I just didn’t ask for samples from there, but may be chasing up, including a Spanish hot chocolate company, a company called Paries who made some very nice ganaches.

For those that didn’t attend … what’s wrong with you? You’re either too busy or think yourself too important to attend :-p? It’s a great way to learn more about chocolate and get to meet real people. There’s also the opportunity to have great chats with other “journos”, including a very interesting guy from Food Bev, whose name escapes me now.

Here’s who was in the specific chocolate bit. But there were loads of other chocolate-related companies, including ice creams, cakes, brownies etc. in the much bigger Fine Food bit:

• Baruzzo Ltd
• BSD – Belgian Sweets Design
• Choc affair
• Choc Chick Raw Chocolates
• ChoCo’a LLC
• Chocoholly
• Chocolat Mathez
• Chocolate Blush
• Chocolate for Connoisseurs
• Chocolaterie Michel Cluizel
• Chocolaterie Petit’ Grandeur
• Cocoa Loco
• Confiserie Bonte Pinson Europa Sweet
• Creme D’Or Ltd
• Danucci
• Davenports Chocolates
• Duffy’s Fine Chocolate
• Good Kind of Food
• Guilbert’s Chocolates Ltd
• HF Chocolates
• House Of Sarunds
• James Chocolates
• l’Artigiano
• Lauden Chocolate Ltd
• Maglio Arte Dolciaria srl
• Marthomi Allergy Free Foods BV
• Moo Free Chocolates
• Organic Seed & Bean Ltd
• Philip Maes Fine Chocolates
• Plush Chocolates
• Pour Toi
• Prestat
• RJF Farhi Limited
• Rococo Chocolates
• Romeo & Juliette
• Sally Williams Fine Foods
• Saveurs et Nature
• Seeds of Change
• Sopexa
• The Big Yum
• The Fine Confectionery Company Ltd

And a selection of the photos I took:

If you didn’t or won’t be going this year, hopefully you’ll be there next time?

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