The Pod - Issue 6

I S SU E # 6

N E WS & R E V IE WS ST R A IGH T FROM T H E CONCH

IN SEARCH OF WILD COCOA Hotel Chocolat goes on an adventure in Colombia p8

AU T H E N T IC • OR IG I N A L • E T H IC A L

{ INTRODUCING THE NEW }

TASTING CLUB WEBSITE Managing your membership is now easier than ever...

WHAT’S NEW? • A single, personalised Hotel Chocolat & Club Account • Easily update your details 24/7

• Score your chocolates effortlessly • See the latest collections first • New Live Chat service

hotelchocolat.com/tastingclub

CONTENTS FEATURES 4 STRAIGHT FROM THE CONCH Our co-founder Angus Thirlwell explains our new and beautifully improved Tasting Club website. Plus, our Top Picks to see and do this month.

5 CHOCOLATE GENESIS

E xperience our extraordinary dessert that will take you on a chocolate journey around the world.

6 FOOD & DRINK Discover the story of our superb Summer Cooler recipe. Plus: The Cacao Nib Scone recipe that you simply have to make this summer.

7 LIVING IN A BOX Why Iain Ball is preoccupied with 16th Century Nicaraguan rabbits.

8 VIVA COLOMBIA We took a trip to the home of some of the world’s greatest and rarest cocoa varieties.

Read about our adventures in Colombia.

12 COCOA PLANET The latest happenings from the Tasting Club and the world of Hotel Chocolat, plus cocoa news from around the globe.

13 QUICK SNAPS You heard it here first: Tidbits and snippets to keep you informed.

Page 5

14 THE CHOCOLATE TASTING CLUB Learn more about our Chocolate Tasting Club, with scores and comments from last month’s selections.

EDITOR’S NOTE

Page 8

This month’s cover features a member of the Arhuacos of Northern Colombia, an indigenous community that have been harvesting cocoa there for more than 2,000 years.

We went to visit them in March, and they introduced us to a rare variety of white Criollo cocoa that grows wild in Sierra Nevada. It took nearly four hours on the back of a mule to reach it. Read the story on page 8.

I hope you enjoy the issue, and please follow us online at hotelchocolat.com/thepod Page 12

Iain Ball, Editor

With thanks to this month’s contributors: RHIAN NICHOLLS

JAMES WATERS

DANIEL HILLS

Digital Marketing Assistant

Head of Tasting Club Channel

Video Editor

A self-confessed social media addict, Rhian’s website-building skills are the creative force behind the online version of The Pod. Rhian loves our Billionaire’s Shortbread chocolates so much she would happily be paid in them.

James has worked on our Chocolate Tasting Club for over 10 years. He’s spent the last year developing our new and improved Tasting Club website, and is open to comments on how to make it even better.

Usually found with a camera in his hands, or headphones firmly attached to his head, Dan creates all of the fabulous videos you'll see in our stores or online, and his excellent food photography tends to makes everyone distinctly peckish.

PRODUCTION: Editor: Iain Ball Creative Director: Timbo Rennie Assistant Editor: Alexandra Hare Senior Designer: Andy Linney Senior Designer: Louise Daniels Designer: Sarah Mckewan Video & Photography: Daniel Hills CONTRIBUTORS: CEO Hotel Chocolat: Angus Thirlwell Managing Director CTC: Terry Waters Head of Marketing: Melissa Shackleton Head of Guest Relations Saint Lucia: Judy Buckley PR Manager: Megan Roberts Head of Chocolat Development: Adam Geileskey

CONTACT US: Send your letters to The Chocolate Tasting Club, Mint House, Royston SG8 5HL, or simply email thepod@hotelchocolat.com or via our website hotelchocolat.com/tastingclub. For our US members please write to The Chocolate Tasting Club, PO Box 461, Montoursville, PA, 17754 website chocs.com

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STRAIGHT FROM THE CONCH ONLINE REVOLUTION We’re celebrating the Internet’s 25th birthday with our brand new Tasting Club website It feels like it’s been around forever, but this year marks the 25th anniversary of the Internet.

Remember how we all got along without it?

No, neither do I. The web has always been important to us at Hotel Chocolat. You might not know this, but we started out as one of Britain’s first-ever online retailers, or ‘e-tailers’, pre-dating even the likes of Amazon or eBay. Our chocolates were first available to buy online way back in 1993, a decade before we opened our first Hotel Chocolat shop in Watford in 2003.

All of which makes the Internet’s silver anniversary the perfect time to launch our brand new Tasting Club website, now online.

We’ve created an easy-to-use website that makes managing your Tasting Club membership refreshingly simple.

Existing members won’t have to change a thing. Your Tasting Club login will work just as before, transferring your details to a new, personalised account that works for both the Tasting Club and Hotel Chocolat.

You’ll be able to update your details or change your selections whenever you want, view new chocolates and seasonal specials before anyone else, and browse our menus in more detail, with a tempting individual picture and description of each chocolate.

You’ll also be able to score chocolates online and see how other Tasting Club members have rated them. The Tasting Club now has a new, 5-star scoring system as well (find out more about that on page 14).

And I’m really happy that members can use Live Chat to talk online with our customer service team without having to use the phone. It’s all about making life easier.

Come and visit the Tasting Club online at hotelchocolat.com/tastingclub

“We started out as one of Britain’s first-ever online retailers, predating even the likes of Amazon or eBay.”

TOP PICKS

THINGS TO DO, PLACES TO GO, PEOPLE TO SEE

A WALK WITH ROSIE Read the poetry of writer Laurie Lee while taking a summer stroll through the beautiful Slad Valley, on new ‘poetry posts’ erected to celebrate his centenary. gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.uk

A GLASS OF PROSECCO Enjoy a free glass of Prosecco when you dine with us at our Roast+Conch restaurant in Leeds or at Rabot 1745 in London’s Borough Market! hotelchocolat.com/ restaurants

LAST CHANCE SUMMER DESSERTS Exclusive to Tasting Club members: Don’t miss out on our exquisite Summer Desserts selection, abuzz with the shades and flavours of the season. chocs.co.uk/summer

KARL IS HERE Fashion aristocracy has arrived on London’s Regent Street with the opening of Karl Lagerfeld’s flagship store in sleek monochrome, featuring his dedicated British-inspired range. karl.com

A GOLD STAR FOR TEACHER Show your appreciation for the hard work of a talented teacher. We’ve got lots of fabulous teacher’s gifts for you to choose from, from our delicious Goody Bag or a Simply Thanks message box. hotelchocolat.com/teachersgifts

hotelchocolat.com/thepod

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CHOCOLATE GENESIS Experience the entire story of cocoa in a single dessert Chocolate Genesis, our amazing dessert at Rabot 1745, tells the story of chocolate in eight perfectly selected cocoa experiences.

Each bite takes you further along the journey. You’ll learn where cacao is grown, from Saint Lucia to Indonesia, as well as the flavour nuances that occur due to changes in climate and terroir. And, perhaps most importantly, you’ll taste the incredibly diverse intensities of chocolate, from our 0% cacao pulp sorbet, to the deep and rich 100% dark ganache.

The dessert is presented on a stunning, handcrafted American Black Walnut wooden board, atop a keepsake menu with a map of the cocoa belt and descriptions of each element of the dessert.

DIFFERENT STROKES This summer sees the first-ever serious exhibition of classic British Folk Art by a major institute, with over 200 paintings, sculptures and textiles.

At Tate Britain, 10th June30th August. tate.org.uk

BACK TO THE POD

100% Roasted Cocoa Bean of the Moment

CACAO GANACHE

100% Saint Lucian

DONG NAI DRINKING CHOCOLATE

SUPERMILK SHARD

75% Java

CRUNCHY GIANDUJA TRUFFLE

80% Vietnam

QUIET PLEASE Don’t make a racquet, but it’s time to pop open the bubbly and celebrate Wimbledon! 23rd June – 6th July. wimbledon.com

George Smart, Goose Woman c1840 Courtesy of Tunbridge Wells Museum and Art Gallery

OLD FRIENDS We just love the classic but contemporary British style of Old Town, creators of brilliantly crafted, made-toorder handmade clothing for men and women using British fabrics. old-town.co.uk

SAY SAUDE! The World Cup begins on June 12th, and we’ve created the perfect chocolate to celebrate: the Caipirinha, our own delicious interpretation of Brazil’s national cocktail. hotelchocolat.com/ caipirinha

IMAGE:

TOUR DE YORKSHIRE To mark the Tour de France stage starting in Leeds on July 5th, 30 super-high-def outdoor screens have popped up across the county, showing films celebrating a century of cycling. cineyorkshire.co.uk

70% Ecuador

SOFT SALTED CARAMEL

50% Saint Lucian

WHITE CHOCOLATE & MANGO CANAPÉ

35%West African

CACAO PULP SORBET

0% Brazil

Take your journey at Rabot 1745, Borough Market.

Book online at hotelchocolat.com/restaurants

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FOOD & DRINK

THE CHOCOLATIER’S TALE SUMMER COOLER Rachel Smith

“One of the best things about being a chocolatier is seeing one of your own recipes finally make its way into beautiful boxes and onto shelves; that’s an amazing feeling.

This is the first of my filled chocolate recipes that I will see hit the shelves, so I’m feeling incredibly excited about it! The idea came to me when we were asked to find a recipe that worked well with cucumber, and I realised that we haven’t previously done many fruity ganaches using apple. It seemed a great compliment to cucumber, as it’s lovely and flavoursome, without being overwhelming.

CACAO NIB SCONES For a subtle cocoa twist on the classic British scone, bake our Cacao Nib Scones this weekend – or pop along to our Roast+Conch restaurant in Leeds for afternoon tea, where you won’t have to make them yourself!

Makes: 17 scones Difficulty: Easy Time: 30 minutes

METHOD

1. Mix flour, salt, sugar, spices, cocoa nibs and baking powder together well.

2. Rub in the cubed butter with your fingers until the mixture Ingredients resembles a fine crumb.

1kg / 35oz T45 flour or plain flour 2. Gently fold in the buttermilk until just combined.

161g / 5.5oz caster sugar 3. Turn out onto a floured board, and roll out gently to 2.5cm thick.

161g / 5.5oz butter, cubed Using a 70mm pastry cutter, stamp out the scones. Do not twist.

75g / 2.6oz baking powder 4. For an even rise. Gently re-roll the remainder of the dough and 3 tsp / ground ginger cut out as many scones as possible. Brush with egg wash to glaze.

2 tsp ground cloves 5. Bake for 10-12 minutes, at 175°C/347°F. Cool on a wire rack 2 tsp ground nutmeg and cover with a clean towel to keep moist.

60g / 2oz Hotel Chocolat Cocoa Nibs 6. Cover your scone with raspberry jam, or Hotel Chocolat 625g / 22oz buttermilk Hazelnut Spread.

When I tasted it, I knew it needed a little something more: Mint. We’d never tried putting fresh mint leaves in a chocolate shell before, but it worked brilliantly. The mint is the very last flavour to reach your tastebuds, as the shell has to melt first, so it’s beautifully refreshing, almost like a glass of Pimms – without the Pimms! The perfect chocolate for summer.”

Summer Cooler available in selector: hotelchocolat.com

FOR THE SHOPPING LIST...

Bag of Nibs – Trinidad Fine cacao nibs from the West Indies rich in healthy antioxidants and feel-good compounds. Perfect for marinating, seasoning or sprinkling on buttered toast or just snacking on their own.

Classic Prosecco

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread Our classic praline spread, made with smooth, soulful chocolate and delicious hazelnut. Smudge generously onto pancakes, warm scones and fresh bread.

Our lively and uplifting Prosecco is exclusively made in a boutique winery in the Dolomite foothills.

Refreshing and fruity, it is especially good with milk and white chocolate.

£6.50 hotelchocolat.com

£19 hotelchocolat.com

£7 hotelchocolat.com

hotelchocolat.com/thepod

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LIVING in a Money doesn’t grow on trees. But it used to, explains Iain Ball

“Did you know,” I sidle up and inform Zoe in quiet triumph, “that this bar of chocolate would have been worth 5.6 rabbits in 16th Century Nicaragua?”

“That’s nice,” says Zoe, looking at a pair of boots.

I discreetly wave the 70-gram bar of Rabot 1745 Saint Lucia Island Growers 100% Dark that I bought not two hours ago.

“Sixteenth Century Nicaraguan rabbits,” I say, trying to draw her attention. “This would be worth about five and a half of them.”

I’m confident that this is correct.

Recently, I’ve been reading all about the ancient Mesoamericans, who are fascinating. They literally grew their money on trees, buying and selling almost everything using cocoa beans.

An early Spanish colonist recorded that at a typical Nicaraguan market you could

buy a rabbit – or hire a call girl – for ten cocoa beans.

I get the feeling she’s not really sharing my enthusiasm for this riff.

If you didn’t have two beans to rub together you wouldn’t have been able to afford an avocado, which cost three. If you had a hill of beans, on the other hand, you could splash out and buy a wife, from a hundred and up.

“I could buy myself half a wife with this chocolate,” I try.

So while my girlfriend has spent most of Saturday morning looking at shoes, I’ve been staving off boredom by working out a series of increasingly complicated chocolate exchange rates.

The average cocoa pod contains about 40 cocoa beans and makes about 50 grams of chocolate. So if you do the maths, that means that one 70-gram bar of Rabot 1745 chocolate would be worth about 5.6 rabbits, or call girls, or a bit less than 19 avocados. If you were at a market in Nicaragua. And had a time machine, obviously.

Zoe stops and looks at me.

“Oh yeah?” she says.

“Which half?”

I pause to think of the correct answer.

“The top half, obviously, for the stimulating conversation.”

Surprisingly, this makes Zoe buttonhole me and give me a kiss.

“Well, if you’re really considering it, sweetheart,” she says, tapping the Rabot bar, “Then why don’t you go and get me another one?”

I explain all this to Zoe. “That’s just fascinating, darling,” she says, moving on to the flipflops.

“I’ve been staving off boredom by working out a series of increasingly complicated chocolate exchange rates...”

VOX CHOCS COCOA SOUNDBITES FROM PEOPLE WHO SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER

“I promise I won't eat it all myself... but a little bit of chocolate at night is divine.”

Dame Helen Mirren (Tasting Club Member)

BOX

I finally work it out after we arrive at the next shoe shop. There isn’t much else for me to do.

hotelchocolat.com/thepod

9

VIVA COLOMBIA It’s home to some of the world’s rarest and most exciting cocoa.

The only problem is, you have to climb up a mountain on the back of a mule to reach it. Hotel Chocolat goes on an adventure in Colombia.

L

ast March, Hotel Chocolat’s Adam Geileskey and Matt Dickens were enjoying a coffee outside a café in the Arauca district in northeastern Colombia, when they noticed two soldiers nearby with semi-automatic pistols drawn.

Matt and Adam watched in growing alarm as the two men moved commando-style towards a shop across the street.

“They looked like they were on a raid,” remembers Adam. “I started to think we should get behind some cover.”

But no one else seemed concerned. It turned out the soldiers were just going shopping.

That’s the way it is in parts of Colombia. Locals call it caliente: ‘hot’, meaning ‘dangerous’.

For the last 50 years, the Colombian government has been locked in a cocaine-fuelled war with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, better known as the FARC. Peace negotiations are going on, but the British government still advises against “all but essential travel” to some areas of the country, including Arauca.

But after trying some outstanding cocoa beans from Tumaco (see the sidebar on page 11), we decided that visiting Colombia really was essential.

Left: Matt Dickens, Hotel Chocolat’s Head of Purchasing, (second from left) and Adam Geileskey, Head of Chocolate Development (third from left), set off in search of wild cocoa in northern Colombia

Although Colombia is famed for cocaine and conflict, it’s also home to some of the world’s greatest and oldest cocoa varieties. Today, cocoa farmers are trying to plant the seeds of a brighter future for the next generation.

We decided to meet Colombian farmers face to face, and see if we could help.

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VIVA COLOMBIA

The Borderlands Matt Dickens, our Head of Purchasing, and Adam Geileskey, Head of Chocolate Development, flew in to Bogota and then on to Arauca. From there it was a four-hour drive to a town called Arauquita on the Rio Arauca, the border between Colombia and Venezuela.

“We could help local farmers develop fine Colombian cocoa to a higher standard by giving access to quality varieties and superior drying and fermentation techniques.”

“It felt like being in Northern Ireland about 15 years ago. Military checkpoints with sandbags are every five or six miles,” says Adam.

To the rest of Colombia, this is a region known for violence, but now locals are trying to recreate themselves as a community respected for cocoa.

In Arauquita, people depend on cocoa, and they’re proud of it.

They’re rebuilding their market square with a cocoa theme and like to paint pictures of cocoa pods on their homes.

Above: A freshly cut pod of rare, white Criollo cocoa, noted for its lack of bitterness, harvested from a tree growing wild in Sierra Nevada, northern Colombia

Matt and Adam’s guides in Colombia were local agricultural experts Carlos Velasco and Guillermo Cadena, who introduced them to the Coomprocar farming cooperative.

They spent their time visiting family farms, meeting farmers and

seeing how they worked. These are mostly family farms, with a typical size of three hectares.

Colombians love chocolate, and there’s a strong internal market that eats up most of the cocoa that Colombian farmers grow – about 50,000 tons per year.

The only downside is that all the high-quality Colombian cocoa gets lost in bulk cocoa sales.

“There’s no incentive for a Colombian farmer to grow fine cocoa instead of ordinary beans,” explains Adam. “They’ll get the same price for their harvest, and it all gets mixed up together.”

“We visited a beautiful family plantation that was excellently managed, but all they grew was the CCN51 variety. It gives high yields, but it’s not a fine cocoa.”

We could help change that, assisting local farmers develop fine Colombian cocoa to a higher standard through access to quality varietals and superior drying and fermentation techniques.

And that could let us guarantee to buy farmers’ harvests at a premium price, giving them the security to keep investing in their farms for a sustainable future.

hotelchocolat.com/thepod

11

From left to right: Adam and Matt in Sierra Nevada; cocoa of the Arauca region; local agricultural experts Carlos Velasco (left) and Guillermo Cadena (middle) with Matt Dickens (right) look at how growers in Sierra Nevada dry their cocoa beans; off the mules and on foot following a river bed, looking for the rare white cocoa; Matt, Carlos and the Arahuacos' Head Woman; the rare white cocoa from Sierra Nevada; cocoa pods on an Arauca plantation; ‘it's all about the cocoa’ with Matt and the farmers of Arauca

The question is: Which are the best quality Colombian cocoa bean types? No one really knows.

Adam and Matt gathered samples of Arauca beans, and then set off further north, to discover truly wild cocoa.

The Big People Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is a mountainous region just 26 miles from Colombia’s Caribbean coast.

It’s home to the Arhuacos, an indigenous, Chibchan-speaking community who have harvested cocoa for over 2,000 years.

Their culture predates the arrival of the Spanish and they live simply, high on the sides of the mountains.

They call themselves the ‘Big People’. They believe Sierra Nevada is the heart of the world, and their duty is to protect it. For them, the rest of us are the ‘Little People’.

The Arhuacos don’t use cars, just mules, and rely mainly on subsistence agriculture, raising livestock and harvesting fruit, vegetables, wheat and cotton.

The men make their own clothes, and their bags have become highly sought after by fashionistas in cities like Bogota.

The Arhuacos harvest coffee commercially, but there are no cocoa plantations here, just wild cocoa trees that produce a rare variety of white Criollo beans, noted for having very little bitterness.

Neither Matt nor Adam had ever seen cocoa growing anywhere but on a plantation and were keen to see it in the wild. With the help of local guides, they set off up the mountain on mules.

“It felt like going on a pilgrimage, a quest to see authentic wild cocoa growing in its natural habitat,” says Adam.

Nearly four hours later, exhausted and sore, they found just four wild Criollo trees, bearing a grand total of three mature cocoa pods.

One cocoa pod holds enough beans to produce about 50 grams (or two ounces) of chocolate.

Back in the UK, the chocolatiers at our Huntingdon development kitchen are now trying out different roasting and conching times for the cocoa we’ve gathered from Colombia, looking for the best cocoa and the best way to turn it into chocolate. We’ll keep you posted.

TUMACO 70% Experience the taste of Colombian cocoa freshly made in our Cocoa Bar-Cafes hotelchocolat.com/cafelocations Colombia forms the northwestern coast of South America, bordering Panema. The Tumaco beans come from the very southern coastal tip on the Pacific Ocean coast bordering Ecuador.

The Tumaco region, referred to as "The Pearl of the Pacific", is known for its exotic landscapes, superb natural beauty and heavy rainfall.

The region harbours lush jungles and mangroves, and its economy runs on mining, fishing, cattle ranching and farming, with cacao as one of its most important crops. Farmers in the Tumaco region have always had a special passion for cacao, passed from one generation to the next.

Harvest: 2014 Roasted: 25 mins at 125°C /257°F Conched: 45 hours at 40°C /104°F Chocolatier: Emma Cope Tasting Notes: The final couverture has a warm malty start with a peak of burnt caramel.

The dry fruit middle gives hints of raisin with a nutty, smoky finish.

Experience our rare and vintage Rabot 1745 range, in stores or online at hotelchocolat.com/rabot1745

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COCOA PLANET NEWS FROM AROUND OUR WORLD DENMARK Location: Copenhagen Our new Copenhagen Airport store, opening mid-July Headed for Copenhagen? We have a much-loved store in the city at Østergade 13, but from mid-July, you’ll be able to drop in and see us as soon as you arrive at Scandinavia’s busiest airport.

Our new Hotel Chocolat boutique, run by a dedicated 10-person team, will be opening ‘airside’ at Copenhagen Airport, ready to equip travellers with supplies of chocolate to take as gifts or all-important comfort rations overseas.

We’ll also be stocking Cocoa Cuisine favourites, from our Cocoa Pesto and White Chocolate Horseradish to our Cocoa Shell Infusion teas, and Cocoa Juvenate beauty products and fragrances. This is our first international airport store!

Above: Our Copenhagen store at Østergade 13 and Copenhagen airport

Left: The roof goes on the medical centre at Osuben.

Lumber to build the frame is brought in by members of the local community

GHANA Location: Osuben, Kwahu District The Osuben Medical Centre Update Members of the Chocolate Tasting Club have been helping the cocoa-farming community of Osuben in Eastern Ghana to build a medical centre for more than three years.

The foundations are laid, the walls are built, and now the roof is being put on.

A wooden roofing frame is up, with lumber contributed by members of the community. After this, aluminium roofing sheets will be put on top.

We’re expecting that all the essential building work for the centre will be complete this year. After that, the next step will be setting it up with modern medical equipment.

The local health authority in Ghana has already agreed to supply trained staff to run it.

We’re really excited to be so close to the end of the project. This was one of the earliest requests we received from members of the Osuben cocoa farming community when we first visited them in 2001, and it will make a big difference to their lives.

We still need to raise £2,029 to reach the target. You can help by making a donation (see right), or even just by sending in a Tasting Club scorecard. We’re giving an extra 25p towards the fund for every scorecard we receive.

JOIN OUR GHANA APPEAL How you can help: We still need £2,029 to complete and equip the Osuben medical centre. We add 25p for every scorecard we receive from our Tasting Club members.

If you’d like to donate, please send a cheque made payable to: The Cocoa Farmers’ Fund, and send it to: CTC Ghana Appeal, Freepost, ANG10659, Royston, SG8 5YD. CURRENT:

£ 4 2,9 7 1 TARGET: £45,000

BEAU BUNNY

UK Location: Leeds A BREAK FOR BEAU

The Dining Club at Roast+Conch

Our dapper Easter Bunny (and minor celebrity), Beau, is off to Saint Lucia.

After working hard over Easter, he’s escaping to our Rabot plantation to grow cocoa for next year’s chocolate eggs – and to sample a few Cacao Bellinis, of course!

We’re delighted to announce the opening of our exclusive Dining Club at our Roast+Conch restaurant in Leeds beginning Tuesday 3rd June.

The fortnightly Dining Club is an opportunity to experience some of our chef’s latest creations in a fantastic set evening menu matched with delicious wines.

Come to our Dining Club three times and your fourth visit will be absolutely FREE.

• Enjoy a fantastic value 3-course set menu, served with an aperitif and wine.

How to book

• The price includes a chocolate tasting session with the chef with a glass of port; plus a Cocoa Shell Infusion drink and a goody bag.

The Dining Club begins at 7pm on Tuesday 3rd June, Tuesday 17th June, Tuesday 1st July, Tuesday 15th July

• Meet the key creative minds behind Hotel Chocolat, from our CoFounder to our Executive Chef, the creators of our Cocoa Gin and Cocoa Beer, and our senior chocolatiers.

£35 per head or £28 per head without alcohol.

HELLO YORK

We’ll also reveal the secrets behind our cocoa creations and our plantation in a series of exclusive presentations to Dining Club guests from our team – including our Co-Founder Angus Thirlwell.

And every fortnight after that. Please be aware that only limited places are available.

HELLO YORK: WE’RE OPEN! If any of you lovely Yorkians are yet to pop along to our new Cocoa Bar-Cafe, inside John Lewis on Vangarde Way, make sure you come and see us soon! We’re ready to greet you with a host of delicious cocoa drinks and treats.

Book online at hotelchocolat.com/ diningclub

POP A POD

• Visit the Dining Club three times and your fourth visit will be FREE!

SAINT LUCIA Location: Rabot Estate This year’s cocoa harvest is ‘the best since Hurricane Tomas’ In Saint Lucia, we’ve enjoying a heartening bumper harvest, not only at our Rabot Estate plantation, but on the plantations of our Island Grower partners.

Every year in Saint Lucia there are two main harvest seasons – the big one between November and February, and the smaller one in April and May. Over that time, our 20-strong team has helped bring in a harvest of 20 tonnes (over 22 US short tons), picking ripe cocoa pods in sweeps across Rabot Estate every two weeks.

ENJOY A FREE GLASS OF BUBBLY! Bring along your copy of The Pod the next time you come and dine with us at Roast+Conch in Leeds, or at Rabot 1745 in Borough Market, and we’ll treat you to a free glass of our delicious house Prosecco!

Our first harvest at Rabot Estate in 2006 was just half a tonne. We built it up to a record harvest of 20 tonnes in 2009, just before Hurricane Thomas devastated Saint Lucia in late 2010, wrecking plantations and causing 17 fatalities.

We’re really happy about this year’s crop, and look forward to even better yields in coming harvests.

QUICK SNAPS

you bite in, you're struck by contrast of the two layers; I happily eat a dozen of these

THE POD

14

Angus Thirlwell, Club Founder

TASTING CLUB REVIEWS

ne

SCORE THIS SELECTION FROM 1-5 ST The Chocolate Tasting Club is at the heart of Hotel Chocolat’s innovative and exceptional chocolates. Our chocolatiers make hundreds of delicious recipes, sent in beautiful boxes to our Tasting Club members to taste and score.

Here are the latest scores from our members on our recent selections and specials. Members’ scores help us make even better chocolate recipes and decide which of our new chocolates should go on to the shelf in Hotel Chocolat boutiques.

— WELCOME TO YOUR TASTING SELECTION — Sending us your scores and comments is entirely optional – but it is great fun to jot them down as you taste. You will also be helping us to gauge members’ likes and dislikes and, therefore, you’ ll be influencing future chocolate recipes.

PICK OF THE MONTH Raspberry Cheesecake

“This chocolate is inspired by summer. I love the flavour journey of the zingy raspberry ganache, followed by the cool, creamy mascarpone – it's so true to a real raspberry cheesecake. When you bite in, you're struck by the contrast of the two layers; I could happily eat a dozen of these!”

oring system slightly – all you have to do is score our chocolates out of 5, and we’l est way to let us have your scores. Just go to www.hotelchocolat.com/tastingcl How to Score not yet available Swedish, Norwegian or Danish members – sorry!

— SCORE THIS SELECTION FROM 1-5 STARS — Very soon, you’ll notice to that US, the Tasting Club scoring system Happy tasting!

Angus Thirlwell, Club Founder

KIRI KALENKO

Senior Chocolatier

N

Cut along dotted line

EW

has changed. Instead of scoring your chocolates out of 10, you can now give them a star rating from 1 to 5, and you can even do this on our new website: hotelchocolat.com/tastingclub

We’ve updated our scoring system slightly – all you have to do is score our chocolates out of 5, and we’ll simply display it as a star rating.

For members it’s the best way to let us have your scores. Just go to www.hotelchocolat.com/tastingclub, login and score- it’s that easy! Online scoring is not yet available to US, Swedish, Norwegian or Danish members – sorry!

Name:

Membership No. or Postcode:

Membership No. or Postcode:

If you have any questions, just email us at help@hotelchocolat.com or call us on 03444 93 23 23 (Mon to Sat).

5 4 1

EFRESHER

DAMOM

RUNCHES

1

CHAIRMAN’S REFRESHER

8

82% DARK HACIENDA IARA TASTING BATON

2

COFFEE & CARDAMOM

9

STRAWBERRY AFFAIR

3

MACADAMIA CRUNCHES

10 DARK CHOCOLATE POT

4

RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE

11 GOOSEBERRY CRUMBLE

5

CARAMARVELLOUS

6

CHERRY ROSE

7

CRISP & SHOUT

8

70% MILK HACIENDA IARA TASTING BATON

8

9

Comments & Suggestions:

12 CHASE SEVILLE ORANGE GIN

82% DARK HACIENDA IAR 13 PISTACHIO & KEY LIME

14 CHOCOLAT SOOTHER

STRAWBERRY AFFAIR D177R83M

10 DARK CHOCOLATE POT

EESECAKE

11 GOOSEBERRY CRUMBLE

OUS

12 CHASE SEVILLE ORANGE G

CLASSIC SELECTION D172 No. Chocolate Name

13 SELECTION PISTACHIO & KEY LIME DARK K105 Chocolatier 10/10 Average 14 CHOCOLAT SOOTHER

10/10

Average

35%

8.8

1

Godet Cognac

Olivier Nicod

30%

8.4

Rum & Butter Caramel Kiri Kalenko NDA2 IARA TASTING BATON23%

8.4

2

Rum & Butter Caramel

Kiri Kalenko

22%

8.6

1

ons:

Chocolatier

Caramel Cheesecake

Rhona Macfadyen

No. Chocolate Name

3

Godet Cognac

Olivier Nicod

23%

8.1

3

Caramel Cheesecake

Rhona Macfadyen

21%

8.6

4

Mocharetto

Olivier Nicod

22%

8.3

4

65% High Cocoa Baton

Kiri Kalenko

17%

8.4

5

Lemon Feuilletine

Rhona Macfadyen

22%

8.3

5

Lemon Feuilletine

Rhona Macfadyen

16%

8.1

1

2

3

1

2

3

WHAT MEMBERS ARE SAYING

WHAT MEMBERS ARE SAYING

Caramel Cheesecake – “My all-time favourite. Gorgeous, divine, delish!” 10/10 Ms Isabel Stainsby – Glasgow

Godet Cognac – “My wife and I were split on this – she wanted to give it 11, and I wanted to give it at least 12! Fabulously punchy and delicious.” 10/10 Tim Stockil – Great Missenden

Lemon Feuilletine – “It’s up there with the Gods.” 9/10 Mrs Paula Ryan – South Queensferry

Rum & Butter Caramel – “A lovely combination with a nice thick chocolate shell.” 9.5/10 Hannah & David – Harrogate

PRIZE DRAW

PRIZE DRAW

Our prize draw winner is Geraldine K. Bellin from Wisconsin who wins a Sleekster Everything selection.

Our prize draw winner is Wendy Tomlinson from West Midlands who wins a Dark Dipping Adventure.

Join the Tasting Club at hotelchocolat.com/join

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15

Score online or by post and you’ ll automatically be entered into a Prize Draw to win some Hotel Chocolat goodies. We’ ll also be donating 25p to our Ghana Appeal for every scorecard we receive, so you’ ll be helping to build the Osuben Medical Centre.

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RABOT 1745 SELECTION P37*

FORTIFIED SELECTION F15* No. Chocolate Name

Chocolatier

10/10

Average

No. Chocolate Name

Chocolatier

1

Cointreau Cup

Olivier Nicod

34%

8.8

1

Venezuela Chuao 70% Dark

Kiri Kalenko

2

Mojito Cocktail

Felicity Plimmer

33%

8.4

2

Hacienda Iara Bûche with Pecans & Caramel

Olivier Nicod

3

French Connection

Rhona Macfadyen

28%

8.6

3

Smooth Vietnam Bûche

Kiri Kalenko

4

Champagne Truffle

Olivier Nicod

27%

8.6

4

Ecuador 70% Milk & Roasted Tahini

Rhona Macfadyen

5

Cherry & Frangelico

Olivier Nicod

27%

8.6

5

Hacienda Iara 63% Milk Ganache

Kiri Kalenko

1

2

3 1

WHAT MEMBERS ARE SAYING

2

3

Cointreau Cup – “On fire! Now this is what I expect from fortified chocs.

Lovely & tasty. A large good looking chunk!” 10/10 Jan Fryer – Exmouth

WHAT MEMBERS ARE SAYING

Mojito Cocktail – “Grande Finale!” 10/10 Mrs Valerie Williamson – Newport Pagnel

Hacienda Iara Bûche with Pecans and Caramel – “The most amazing combination of flavours and textures. I would love to see this recipe again! ” 10/10 Helen – Lancashire

We haven't received enough scores this month for the Rabot 1745 selection to be statistically valid. But members’ comments below are representative.

PRIZE DRAW

PRIZE DRAW

Our prize draw winner is Mr Steve Shirtliff from Sheffield who wins a Classic Champagne Truffles Grand.

Our prize draw winner is Mrs H PriceNicholson from Wakefield who wins a selection of bars Coastal Ecuador.

ALL MILK SELECTION M27* No. Chocolate Name

ELEMENTS SELECTION S83

Chocolatier

10/10

Average

No. Chocolate Name

Chocolatier

10/10

Average

1

Caramel Cheesecake

Rhona Macfadyen

31%

8.6

1

Crispy Mint Slab

Tarow Loke

27%

8.4

2

Cranberry & Orange

Felicity Plimmer

26%

8.0

2

Cameroon 38% Milk Baton

Rachel Smith

25%

8.6

3

Orange, Cardamom & Almond Taste-Off (with florentine)

Kiri Kalenko

20%

8.3

3

Billionaires Shortbread

Olivier Nicod

22%

8.6

4

Peanut Butter Wafer

Felicity Plimmer

21%

8.3

4

Cameroon 38% Milk Baton

Rachel Smith

20%

8.0

5

Cranberry & Orange

Felicity Plimmer

18%

8.1

5

Baked Banana Shortbread

Felicity Plimmer

17%

8.1

1

2

3

2

1

3

WHAT MEMBERS ARE SAYING

WHAT MEMBERS ARE SAYING

Caramel Cheesecake – “This would have been better with a biscuit base underneath the caramel layer!!” 7/10 Miss Ann-Marie Vickers – Preston

Crispy Mint Slab – “Lovely balance of chocolate and mint, delicious.” 9.5/10 Mrs Sarah Walker Corlett – Bridgwater

Cameroon 38% Milk Baton – “Very distinctive flavour, love it.” 9.5/10 Celia Murdoch – Twickenham

Cameroon 38% Milk Baton – “They vanished so fast I could have sworn my box did not contain the full amount.” 9.5/10 Ms Claire Walker – Kirkby Malzeard, Nr

PRIZE DRAW

PRIZE DRAW

Our prize draw winner is Mrs J Holmes from Cheadle who wins a Milk Adventure Peepster.

Our prize draw winner is Miss M Turner from Sidmouth who wins a Cookie Choc Chip Slab.

*Not currently available in the United States

0212014629

bi ll! d fo o r yo u O FF % 20

COME AND DINE WITH US Experience our amazing award-winning restaurants.

Inspired by the success of our Boucan restaurant in Saint Lucia, the menus at Rabot 1745 and Roast+Conch return the cocoa bean to its rightful place as a subtle savoury spice and garnish, creating fabulous harmonies of taste. Dine, drink and socialise day and night at our cocktail bar, and shop for exquisite chocolates and cocoa cuisine ingredients for your kitchen, available in the chocolate boutique.

RABOT 1745 BOROUGH MARKET 2-4 Bedale Street, Borough Market, London, SE1 9AL Tel: 0207 378 8226 Email: borough@rabot1745.com

ROAST+CONCH LEEDS 55 Boar Lane, Leeds, LS1 5EL Tel: 0113 244 2421 Email: leeds@roastandconch.com

Book by 31st July 2014 and receive 20% off your food bill!

To book your table visit hotelchocolat.com/restaurants and quote code ‘STC20’ in the special requests box (excludes Friday & Saturday bookings).

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