D112 R18 K45 S23 018258
Club News
SO THAT’S WHY!
Knowing why you, our members, belong to The Tasting Club helps us understand what’s really important to you. Which is why we recently ran a survey to ask exactly that! FiRST oF aLL, we’d like to say a big thank you to the 3,500 people who kindly completed our survey. Such high participation means that we can be extremely confident about the results. And speaking of which, the table to the right shows those headline results, with a run down of the main reasons for members belonging to the Tasting Club. The percentages represent an average of ‘most important’ and ‘second most important’ reasons. MMMMM! Yes, the sheer ‘mmmmm factor’ is the number one reason for members belonging to the Tasting Club. And it was the number one reason by a massive margin, which we clearly couldn’t be more pleased
REaSoNS To bELoNG The chocolates are simply delicious
38.0%
The excitement of never knowing what i am going to get
12.3%
because of the ethical initiatives in Ghana & St Lucia
9.9%
i can have them as and when i want
9.2%
The experimental nature of the chocolate recipes
9.2%
The chocolates are from Hotel Chocolat
9.1%
about – our sole aim is to delight you with our chocolates after all! In fact, that 38% somewhat hides the importance members attach to the deliciousness of chocolates, as a whopping 56% of respondents cited it as their primary reason for belonging. SuRPRiSE ME The second most popular response,
that members like the excitement of not knowing what they’re going to get, took us a little by surprise. Although we knew it was something that members enjoyed, we didn’t know you enjoyed it quite so much! However, were we to ask prospective Tasting Club members the same question, we suspect that the
continued on page 3...
Dear Club Members
W
elcome to your latest edition of Club News. This month we lead with the results of our Why I Belong Survey, which an enormous number of you took part in. Thank you for your help, the results make fascinating reading and will help keep us on the straight and narrow! Also this month you’ll see that there are one or two changes afoot – most immediately the introduction of our slimmer box that will hopefully make deliveries much easier for many members. And on page 10 you’ll see what we’re planning for this year’s big project in Ghana. Many members ask me how they can do more to help cocoa farmers in Ghana, so we’re opening this one up to you too. There’s also news of a rather special, limited edition bear – see page 7 for more on him!
Finally this month, as you’ll see from page 8 my responsibilities in Hotel Chocolat are taking me to farflung places, so this will be my last Club News as your Tasting Club Manager. But don’t think you’ll be getting rid of me completely! I’ll remain in close contact with the Club and you’ll be hearing from me right here on Engaged Ethics matters. In fact, I’ll be back next month when I’ll be sharing one or two highlights with you and to say my goodbyes more fully. Until next month, happy tasting!
SNIPPETS FROM OUR STORES A customer from Switzerland found his way to our Brighton store and was clearly impressed. He described our chocolate as ‘art’ and left with gifts to take home to Switzerland – the chocolate equivalent of selling ice to Eskimos?
2
Lynn Cunningham Manager of Hotel Chocolat Tasting Club
Send your letters to Hotel Chocolat Tasting Club, Mint House, Royston SG8 5HL, or simply email me on lynn@hotelchocolat.co.uk We are waiting to hear from you!
Continued from page one... Well, with ‘I can have chocolates as and when I want’ the fourth most important reason for belonging to the Tasting Club, the answer is clearly a resounding yes!
With members’ help we’ve sunk this much-needed borehole – a result of our hands-on approach.
Being brave! Another of the founding principles of the Tasting Club pops up as the fifth most important reason for members belonging. And that is the fact that we are constantly creating new recipes with which to surprise you and to (hopefully) delight you. We say ‘hopefully’, because our experimental urges sometimes don’t excite all of our members in quite the way we hope… need we mention Chocolate Thyme or the more recent Marmite episode…? However, the old saying, ‘You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs’ rings true! And this survey result confirms what we thought – that our members appreciate
element of surprise would not be a popular response. It’s clearly a question of trust that we must earn by consistently delivering high quality chocolates every month, so we’re delighted that so many of you trust us to do just that.
worried! Because over the years members have unerringly supported our projects – and now we see that Engaged Ethics is the third most important factor for actually belonging to the Tasting Club.
Engaged Ethics Our unique ethical programme, Engaged Ethics, came about when we realised that an ‘offthe-peg’ programme, like Fairtrade for example, wouldn’t suit our business and would never allow us the hands-on approach we wanted. But starting from scratch, firstly with cocoa farming communities in Ghana and then in St Lucia, meant we didn’t really know how it would be received by members. It seems we needn’t have
Whenever the mood takes you The fact that you can have your monthly tasting boxes whenever you like and at a frequency of your choosing is one of the main features continued on page 6... of the Tasting Club. But it’s a difficult point to get across to those who haven’t yet joined our Club – can you trust us when we say there’s no obligation Marmite chocolate – our adventurous approach is to have something members hold dear, but the results aren’t chocolates? always to everyone’s taste! 3
ClaSSIC
Dark
SOlID
SElECTION - D110
SElECTION - k43
1. Billionaire Shortbread
1. Blackberry Pannacotta by E Desmet 8.42 (37% scored it 10/10)
2. Florentine Dream by K Kalenko 8.68 (32% scored it 10/10)
2. Honey Truffle by H Luder 8.40 (21% scored it 10/10)
2. New Peel-Me-An-Orange
3. Blood Orange Truffle
3. Blood Orange Truffle by
3. Salted Caramel Batons 8.22 (16% scored it 10/10)
4. Blackberry Pannacotta
4. Florentine Dream by K
by O Nicod 8.82 (33% scored it 10/10)
by M Meier 8.56 (34% scored it 10/10) by E Desmet 8.40 (27% scored it 10/10)
5. The Purist’s Praline
by EJ Whalley 8.27 (24% scored it 10/10)
6. Boozy Berries
by JC Vandenberghe 8.22 (34% scored it 10/10)
7. Chocolate Brownie
by O Nicod 8.20 (21% scored it 10/10)
8. Salted Caramel Batons 8.14 (24% scored 10/10)
9. Summer Berry Bubbly by L Franchi & M Meier 8.14 (33% scored it 10/10)
10. Cortado Truffle
by O Coppeneur & G Bernardini 8.12 (20% scored it 10/10)
11. Honey Truffle by H
Luder 8.08 (26% scored it 10/10)
12. Custard Cream by EJ
Whalley 8.07 (27% scored it 10/10)
13. Double Decker Batons 8.03 (17% scored it 10/10) 14. Peanut Misfits by R
Macfayden 7.53 (18% scored it 10/10)
15. Chocolate Martini by
K Kalenco 7.49 (18% scored it 10/10)
M Meier 8.38 (34% scored it 10/10)
SElECTION - S21 1. Dotty About Caramel 8.54
(20% scored it 10/10)
8.44 (29% scored it 10/10)
4. Double Decker Batons
Kalenko 8.33 (19% scored it 10/10)
8.08 (28% scored it 10/10)
5. Summer Berry Bubbly
5. Raspberry Ripple 7.99 (20%
by L Franchi & M Meier 8.31 (27% scored it 10/10)
6. Chocolate Martini by K
Kalenco 8.31 (32% scored it 10/10)
scored it 10/10)
6. Peanut Misfits 7.90 (25% scored it 10/10)
7. Billionaire Shortbread by
7. Peruvian 64% Dark Chocolate 7.50 (25% scored it
8. Cortado Truffle
8. Banana Split 7.48 (16% scored
O Nicod 8.31 (28% scored it 10/10)
by O Coppeneur & G Bernardini 8.25 (26% scored it 10/10)
9. Boozy Berries
by JC Vandenberghe 8.06 (29% scored it 10/10)
10. Chocolate Brownie
by O Nicod 7.92 (12% scored it 10/10)
11. Custard Cream by EJ Whalley 7.73 (10% scored it 10/10) 12. Double Decker Batons 7.62 (16% scored it 10/10)
13. The Purist’s Praline by
EJ Whalley 7.59 (21% scored it 10/10)
14. Peanut Misfits by R Macfayden 7.37 (13% scored it 10/10)
10/10)
it 10/10)
9. Honey Bites 7.18 (22% scored it 10/10)
BOuqueT Blackberry Pannacotta – “i kept this one until last sure it was going to be fantastic – i was not disappointed.” Jean Smith, inverness. BOuqueT Peruvian 64% Dark Chocolate – “utter bliss, but then to paraphrase the old ad – i’m a plain girl. i like plain diamonds, plain emeralds and plain chocolate!” Anne Hayward, Stowmarket.
BriCKBAT Chocolate Martini – “The vodka blew my head off!” John Da-Nobrega, Weston-Super-Mare. 4
RECESSION? WHAT RECESSION? This month our classic tasters have flown in the face of challenging economic conditions! Or perhaps the top scoring chocolate was a product of the uncertain state of the economy? Hot on the heels of last month’s Lolly Happiness Barometer – whereby we revealed that, in Hotel Chocolat stores nationwide, Smiley Lollies are outselling Frowny Lollies by five to one – we can exclusively reveal another tantalising economic indicator. And no doubt the Chancellor for one will be happy to hear that this month’s Classic box winner is Billionaire Shortbread – a timely update of the classic millionaire shortbread, but with a winning emphasis on chocolate and caramel rather than shortbread.
Bouquet Billionaire Shortbread – “I love this indulgent mouthful, a warm moonlit night, a glass of champagne and a box of these... WOW.” Rosalie Tinsley, Guernsey. Is this a sign of increased optimism? A vote of confidence in the economy? A signal that more aspirational times are back? Only time will tell, but if history shows that recovery started in May 2009, then we claim responsibility! Alternatively, Billionaire Shortbread’s victory could be down to the fact that it is a distinctly comforting recipe – full of rounded chocolate and caramel flavours with the home-baked feel of shortbread. And in times of uncertainty we do look to comfort food for reassurance.
Bouquet Florentine Dream – “Wonderful textures and flavours made this a great tasting adventure and that is what I joined the Club for.” Charles Colby, Fleetwood. If you think we might be overstating the case slightly (heaven forbid), then take a look at the other end of the classic score chart… There you’ll find Chocolate Martini, equally full of chocolaty flavours, but martinis can hardly be thought of as comforting! They’re seen as a good-time drink and perhaps a symbol of, dare we say, the more decadent moments in life. Meanwhile, Solid Chocolate Tasters were also in the mood for comfort food as their winning chocolate shows. The name, Dotty About Caramel, certainly raised a few smiles just as the deep flavours of caramelised sugar never fails to raise the spirits! And following the same train of thought, you’d have to say that our Dark tasters must be the most optimistic of all our tasters this month – with the light and extremely fruity Blackberry Pannacotta claiming first place!
Brickbat Honey Truffle – “Why roll a perfectly yummy honey ganache in sugar?! Sacrilege! They should never go together – both taste and texture incompatible.” Rosemary Claxton, Glasgow. 5
Continued from page three... creativity, even when it’s sometimes not to their taste! Checking into Hotel Chocolat The fact that the Tasting Club is a sister company of Hotel Chocolat is the sixth most important reason for members belonging. Or, more precisely, the fact that our chocolates come from Hotel Chocolat, and that is testament to the values we share – that chocolate should be exciting, original and authentic. This result is not without a smattering of irony, because many of the chocolate recipes found in Hotel Chocolat stores across the country were created for Tasting Club members. And when members give their seal of approval to a recipe, you might then find it in the Hotel Chocolat range – just one of the reasons why your scores and comments are so important!
Members will be familiar with quite a few of chocolates in the Hotel Chocolat range – they voted for them!
So there you have it, the findings that will help us continue to understand what is important and also what isn’t quite so important to members. You can be sure that the results will help us develop the Club while ensuring that we stick closely to what members hold most dear – to be delighted, excited and surprised by chocolates!
SNIPPETS FROM OUR STORES In Gateshead a lady arrived looking very excited. She explained that she is a customs officer at the airport and had recently searched a bag that was full of the most delicious looking chocolates she’d ever seen. Unfortunately, she had forgotten the name of the chocolates until she walked past the shop and knew she had found us at last!
New Price from November 2009 We do try to keep the price of monthly tasting boxes as low as we can for as long as we can – whilst not compromising our extremely high standards. Unfortunately, the rising cost of ingredients means that, in order to keep pace, we will be adding £1 to the price of the monthly selections from November 2009. It’s regrettable, but They are so varied in content. I feel they are this will be the first price rise we’ve extremely good value for money. I buy no had for nearly three years, so we hope other chocs and MAKE a box last a month. that you understand the need for this Difficult to do! increase.
Why members belong
6
if You Go Down To The Woods Today… Steiff bears are renowned the world over as the most sought after and valuable collectors’ bears and soon they’ll be joined by our very own Hotel Chocolat version!
THE SToRy of these amazing bears began with Margaret Steiff, a seamstress from the German town of Giengem, whose hobby was making toy stuffed animals. In fact, her first was initially made to be a pincushion, but the stuffed elephants proved to be very popular with children. She quickly added other animals to her repertoire, but it was Richard Steiff, an artist and Margaret’s nephew, who introduced bears. He had been sketching animals at the zoo when he came across some performing bears – and they gave him the idea of designing a bear that could stand up and was jointed, in much the same way as dolls were made. Around about the same time the American President, Theodore Roosevelt, gained his famous nickname ‘Teddy’ – because of his passion for bears. So a great deal of the success of the first Steiff bears must be attributed to this happy coincidence! iNTRoDuCiNG ouR LiMiTED EDiTioN STEiFF bEaR! And soon a limited number of our very own Hotel Chocolat Steiff Bear will be joining the ranks of these famous bears – hand-made in soft mohair and featuring the telltale mark of Steiff authenticity, the Button-In-Ear. Each one will also be clutching his own iconic Hotel Chocolat mini slab and will arrive with a numbered certificate of authenticity. So, if you’d like to be one of the first to get your hands on this exclusive limited edition, all you need do is register your interest. Pre-registering your interest is absolutely free and there is no commitment to buy. We’ll let you know when they become available and you can let us know if you’d like one, it’s as simple as that! Please go to www.chocs.co.uk/steiff for more information and to register your interest… and you’ll be sure of a big surprise! 7
On her last visit to Ghana Lynn tries out the motorcycle we got for Joseph, the Osuben extension officer. So what can we expect to see her on in the Middle East -- a camel perhaps?
Why members belong
Ethical initiatives are very important to me – I strongly believe in everyone benefiting along the line, not just me as the end user. 8
MOVING ON
Last month we promised you exciting news about some changes to the Tasting Club, one of which affects your very own Tasting Club Manager – so we’ll let Lynn tell you herself. “There really is no delicate way to put this, so I’ll just jump straight in… after 8 years as your Tasting Club Manager, I’m moving on to pastures new. And I must say, that although the new pastures are very exciting, it’s not without much sadness that I must relinquish my post! Lynn of Arabia? Where am I going? Well, you may or may not know that, for some years now, as well as being Tasting Club Manager I’ve also been a Director of Hotel Chocolat. There are exciting new developments on the horizon for Hotel Chocolat, namely an expansion of our stores overseas in America and in the Middle East. And it is to Dubai and Bahrain that I’m headed, where I’ll be working with our partners to help establish the Hotel Chocolat brand. My job will involve enthusing them with our love of chocolate, training staff so they are knowledgeable about chocolate and introducing them to our unique Engaged Ethics programme. In short, it will be my responsibility to ensure that customers in our overseas stores enjoy the same experience that our UK customers so love. Putting a name to a voice So, who will be taking over my responsibilities here at Club News? He’s actually someone you know quite well, you just never knew it! His name is Simon Thirlwell and from the very beginning of
the Tasting Club he has been working with me – writing the articles for Club News and travelling to Ghana with me every year amongst many other things. So if you’re an avid reader or followed my adventures in Ghana, you’ll be very familiar with Simon. The surname may also be quite familiar to you because he is the younger brother of Angus, Club Founder. So, all in all, I know I am leaving you in very safe hands! However, even though I’ll be spending a great deal of time overseas, you can rest assured that I’ll continue to keep in close contact with the Club. And you’ll be hearing from me here in Club News about Engaged Ethics developments and how Hotel Chocolat is progressing overseas. In fact, you’ll be hearing from me sooner than you think – in next month’s issue when I’ll have the chance to say my goodbyes and to reminisce a little!
SNIPPETS FROM OUR STORES In Dudley a couple were browsing when the man asked if they could get married in the shop. When asked why he replied that Hotel Chocolat is his favourite shop in the whole world and it would be like getting married in heaven! 9
Hopefully this will be one of the last times they’ll get stuck in the mud!
Engaged Ethics
THE TRUCK STOPS HERE! The beauty of our hands-on approach in Ghana is that we see
for ourselves what needs to be done – this year’s exciting new project is the result of our last trip to the Osuben Basin.
Bob’s Bad Day! You might remember a few months ago we told you the story of ‘A Bad Day for Bob’. It was basically a tale of just how treacherous it can be getting around the cocoa farming
Why members belong
Two of each chocolate – you can share or just enjoy the chocolate twice! 10
areas, especially in the rainy season. Our partners, Bob, Steven and Isaac of The Green Tropics Group, spend a great deal of time visiting farmers and ferrying supplies around. Unfortunately their trusty (but also rusty!) old pick-up truck has now given up the ghost and they now rely on a less appropriate vehicle that, without four-wheel drive, is just not suited to the task. During the last trip to Ghana, Lynn saw
for herself just how dangerous driving an unsuitable vehicle can be – with Bob getting frequently stuck in deep potholes and skidding off rain-washed, muddy tracks. That’s why this year we’d like to buy them a truck so that they can get the job done much more efficiently and safely – and we’re not talking about anything fancy here, just a basic, hard working vehicle to stand up to the harsh driving conditions. Reaching parts other seedlings have never reached before A truck will also enable us to deliver seedlings to farmers in even the most remote areas. Many cocoa farmers in the Osuben Basin have never been able to take advantage of our seedlings programme to rejuvenate their farms because they live too far away from the nearest nursery. They cannot afford to pay for transport and it is just too far to walk whilst carrying seedlings. WOULD YOU LIKE TO HELP? We receive many requests from members asking how they can do more to help cocoa farmers in Ghana. And, given the overwhelming response from members who contributed to our Health Insurance and Motorbike schemes, we thought we’d throw this one open to you. To buy and maintain a small truck will cost approximately £15,000, half of which we can guarantee right now. So if you’d like to be involved in the funding of the other half, we’d love to have your help!
Why members belong
The chocolates have great emotional significance – they help after a bad day, they make a celebration, they create the opportunity for a dinner party, they console and, in short, turn the ordinary into a memorable adventure. How to make a donation In order that all monies go directly to the appeal itself, we’ve set up a dedicated bank account in the name of the Ghana Cocoa Farmers’ Fund. And to keep things simple and to minimise bank charges, the fund can only accept donations by cheque or postal order made payable to the fund itself – we cannot accept any payments made to the Club. Please make cheques & postal orders payable to: Ghana Cocoa Farmers’ Fund And send to: Cocoa Farmers, The Chocolate Tasting Club, Royston, SG8 5HL We realise that these are uncertain economic times, so any donation large or small will be gratefully received, although to minimise administration costs we request a minimum donation of £5
– t hank you for your help!
SNIPPETS FROM OUR STORES In Manchester a lady came specially to buy a box of Cocktails to Chill. She explained that she had bought a box last week for a dinner party she was throwing, but by the time she’d come back from making the coffee the whole lot had been demolished. This way she’d get to try them for herself! 11
THiS MoNTH’S PRizE DRaW WiNNERS
Classic Selection prize draw winner is Mrs E M Singleton of Preston who wins a Hand Piped Sleekster Selection. Next month’s
prize is a Cocktails to Chill Sleekster – gorgeous chocolate cocktails with a kick, specially designed to be enjoyed chilled.
Dark Selection prize draw
winner is Mrs B Snoswell of Canterbury who wins Dark Immersion. Next
month’s prize is Dark Fruit & Nut Giant Slab – deep and dark 74% chocolate with premium sultanas, cranberries and hazelnuts.
Solid Chocolate
prize draw winner is Mr P Morgan of Llanidloes who wins a Triple Chocolate Wham Bam. Next month’s prize is a Triple Chocolate Tutti Frutti Giant Slab – a colourful blend of fruity white and milk chocolate with raisins, cherries and pistachios.
GET SET FoR THE SLEEK NEW LooK!
Next month
will see the unveiling of our new slimmer boxes – the result of the Great Letterbox Debate that members so enthusiastically contributed to. It became clear over the course of that debate that a substantial number of members were experiencing delivery problems – partly because standard letterboxes have been reduced in size over the years and also because postmen are reluctant to give boxes a good push! So, over the past few months we’ve been working on reducing the depth of our boxes, while keeping in mind the other main finding of our letterbox survey – not to touch the size of the chocolates! As a result, we’re pleased to say that our filled chocolates will all be unaffected by the slimmer box, but there has been one change forced upon us… we’ve had to shave a tiny amount from the height of Tasting Batons. It’s a matter of millimetres so you might not even notice but, if you’ve had delivery problems, hopefully your letterbox will!
Why members belong
My wife thinks i’m wonderful for giving her great chocolates on a regular basis!
Don’t forget - you can score byDark post or online at www.chocs.co.uk Write to us at: Hotel Chocolat Tasting Club, Mint House, Royston, SG8 5HL Email: lynn@hotelchocolat.co.uk or via our website: www.chocs.co.uk Club News: Copywriter: Simon Thirlwell; Contributors: Simon Thirlwell, Lynn Cunningham, Terry Waters; Design: Katherine Kannegieter © The Chocolate Tasting Club Limited 2009