Club news December

Club News

The monthly newsletter from the Tasting Club

Issue 1213

CRYSTAL BALL Get a sneak preview of the exciting special editions we have in store for you in 2013.

Find out on page 12

THE BEAUTY

of cocoa Look out for your free sample of Hotel Chocolat’s new CocoaJuvenate beauty range coming in your tasting box soon.

Find out on page 13

Ghana Appeal Olivier perfects his latest recipe in preparation for the new cold press

Even more chocolate

excitement to come!

For over five years now we’ve been making our chocolates here in Britain, increasing our capabilities and range of recipes. And now there’s something really exciting in the pipeline…

1213NL

A brand new piece of machinery is on the way that will allow us to greatly expand our repertoire of recipes and there’s one man who is a little bit more excited than anyone else – our head chocolatier, Olivier Nicod. You won’t have failed to see Olivier’s name on our monthly menus since he joined in September 2007 and in his own words, “I’ve enjoyed every minute of it!” continued on page 8...

Target:

£45,000 If you would like to contribute to the Appeal to fund the Osuben Medical Clinic (CHPS) please send a cheque for whatever amount you can give made payable to the Cocoa Farmers’ Fund and send to CTC Ghana Appeal, FREEPOST ANG10659, Royston, SG8 5YD

Current Amount:

£3,720

Letter from the

Editor

M

aking chocolates here in Britain is something we’ve been doing for over five years now, but this latest development is perhaps the most exciting leap forward so far. Why? Because it opens up a whole new avenue of chocolate recipes with which to experiment and push boundaries even further. As you can see in this month’s main article, Olivier is very excited about the new capabilities and has been hard at work developing all sorts of surprises for us.

Of course, as Tasting Club members, we’ll all still be at the forefront of chocolate development and we’ll still be the ones tasting and rating these new creations before anyone else. As I tell anyone who’ll listen, it’s a tough job…

“

Olivier is very excited about the new capabilities and has been hard at work developing all sorts of surprises for us.

”

And speaking of new chocolates, you’ll also see this month that we’ve included a preview of the special editions we have planned for you in 2013. So, turn to page 12 and start planning your chocolate tasting year!

Until next month, happy tasting.

Simon Thirlwell Club News Editor Brrrrr! Your last chance to get cosy with Winter Puddings is on page 4

Send your letters to The Chocolate Tasting Club, Mint House, Royston SG8 5HL, or simply email me on simon@hotelchocolat.co.uk or via our website: www.chocs.co.uk We are waiting to hear from you!

Club News Editor: Simon Thirlwell; Contributors: Simon Thirlwell, Terry Waters.

2

© The Chocolate Tasting Club plc 2012

What exactly is

Gianduja

T

here are quite a few legends about the creation of gianduja (pronounced jan-DOO-yah), a super smooth blend of hazelnuts and chocolate.

The most feasible, though, concerns the plight of desperate Italian chocolate makers in the Piedmont region of Italy.

They had been hit by soaring taxes on cocoa in the 1860s and so, in order to make their cocoa go further, they started to add a local ingredient into their chocolate recipe. It was something

that they had in abundance – Piedmont hazelnuts that are still sought after today as being the best in the world.

The nuts were ground into a super fine paste and added to the chocolate and the recipe worked. In fact, it more than worked! The extra nut oils and the cocoa butter in the chocolate combined to give this new creation a melt-in-themouth texture like never before. And 150 years later, we’re still so glad of those higher taxes!

Winners

This month’s Prize Draw

Classic Selection Prize draw winner is Miss C Hutchings from Broadstone who wins a Munch & Nibble Selection.

Next month’s prize is a Winter Warmers Selection.

LAST call for…

Dark

Selection

Prize draw winner is Mrs S Stevenson from Glasgow who wins a Serious Dark Fix Selection. Next month’s prize is a Midnight Mints Selection.

Elements

Selection

Prize draw winner is Mrs S Jenkins from Shrewsbury who wins a Triple Chocolate Wham Bam Giant Slab. Next month’s prize is a Mississippi Mud Pie Giant Slab.

Purist

Selection

Prize draw winner is Dr Mike Brown from Eastleigh who wins a Super Boosters Desk Pot. Next month’s prize is a Purist Pralines & Caramel Selection.

All Milk Selection

Winter PUDDINGS Winter Puddings is our deliciously cosy special edition that will have you wishing for the chilly weather to arrive sooner. Why? Because the crisp days and chilly nights of winter are the perfect time to enjoy these comforting chocolate recipes inspired by the puddings we know and love. Featuring 30 chocolates specially based on our national treasures like crumbles and cobblers, custard and steamed puddings, sticky toffee, brownies and tarts. That’s as well as an exclusive set of 10 recipe cards – perfect for winter entertaining ideas.

Don’t miss out – reserve yours now for just £18 (plus £3.95 P&P) at www.chocs.co.uk/WINTER or call 08444 933 933.

Prize draw winner is Mrs J Costie from Cardiff who wins Oysters & Champagne.

Next month’s prize is a Peepster Milk Adventure.

Don’t forget – score by post or online at www.chocs.co.uk 4

and you’ll be automatically entered into this prize draw.

Photography by Tom Mannion

GET READY FOR SIX OF THE BEST

Founder’s

Choice

Our elite Six of the Best Collection is back for a third exciting year and this time it’s personal!

All six chocolates have been personally chosen by Club Founder, Angus Thirlwell. They are his handpicked recipes of the moment, the chocolates he most wants you to try – and with three each you can even share them!

Reserve your Founder’s Choice now for delivery in March 2013 for just £17 (plus £3.95 P& P) at www.chocs.co.uk/sixofthebest or call 08444 933 933

Norma Ma open Min jor and Angus t House 1992

Mint House 1991 “In the nude!”

Peter at M int H building site ouse 1991

celebrating

25

r

rk opens fo Hadley Pa 2004 business

The company salute?

No just early PR 1989

Peter demonstrates the Chocogram – it fits principle of the a letter box! 1994 First packing line at Mint House 1992

– wrappers 88 the mint ards! 19 and cuts Angus h bought soon afterw e was a machin

iness

An award-winning bus 2004-2012 Luxur y Villas in Sai nt Lucia – coming soon! 2010

Rabot Pitons from View of the – Timeless

6

2 5 y e a rs Special 25 Years Logo 1987-2012

HC’s Got

Talent Con test 2012

years

Company The Mint Marketing is bor n 1987

DELICIOUS years!

The company that we know and love as Hotel Chocolat was first incorporated 25 years ago, prompting an evening of celebration hosted by our very own Club Director, Terry Waters. So, from its distinctly fresh tasting beginnings, to the more recognisable present day, here are just some of the highlights.

Early fans in

cluded Prim e Minister John Major 1992

Entrepreneurs of the Year 2010

Rabot E

state in acquired Saint Lucia 2006

office – Angus in the 96 as usual! 19 tes ola oc ch surrounded by

The new Alpha e 2011 Distribution Centr

7

cover story – continued

even more chocolate

excitement to come! “ ” This frees up a whole array of recipes for us, some of which I have had on my wish list for a while

And by happy coincidence, one of Olivier’s creations, Champagne Bellini, tops the Classic score chart this month.

So, what is this new piece of machinery that Olivier is so excited about? “It’s something called a ‘cold press’, which is essentially a new way for us to make chocolate shells and cups.

That may not sound exciting to you, but just wait until you find out what that allows to do!”

So what difference will it make? Well, it opens the door to a whole new array of fillings and therefore recipes. Up until now we have been limited in terms of texture when it comes to fillings. The nature of the process by which we make, for example, truffles right now means that the filling must be smooth, like a ganache. Using cold press shells and cups means that world is now our oyster, so to speak – we can create filling with biscuits and nuts, whole pieces of fruit, cocoa nibs and just about anything with a bit of texture.

Olivier explains more, “This frees up a whole array of recipes for us, some of which I have had on my wish list for a while – we can create layered recipes, we can pipe fillings into cups, we can aerate light and fluffy cheesecakelike fillings, we can suspend whole pieces of fruit in ganache... I’m especially excited about that last example and, in fact, I’m working on a recipe right now that involves fruit and damson liqueur. We’ve been drawing both on

our past experience and on new ideas and, in some instances, combining the two to create a whole new range of recipes that we’ve been testing for quite a few months now.”

And central to these new recipes will be a range of four new chocolate shells that have been specially created for this new cold press machine. Each one has been developed to accommodate different styles of fillings and each shape has a link back to chocolate making process. But we won’t reveal too much more about those – there’ll be more to come in the next few months.

Olivier was inspired to be a chocolatier when he started working for one of the world’s most renowned chefs, Paul Bocuse. As a pastry chef in his kitchen he learned that using only the best quality ingredients was fundamental and his love of working with chocolate grew from there. If you are interested in becoming a chocolatier, then it’s difficult to beat the patisserie experience that Olivier gained under Paul Bocuse.

No doubt Olivier is now putting all of that experience to good use in developing and exploring the exciting, new recipes that are now possible. He tells us that testing continues up to Christmas and that we could see some of his new creations in boxes in the spring.

We can’t wait!

Clockwise from top left – Damson Gin is just one of the new ingredients Olivier is experimenting with; checking a test sample; the cocoa bean roaster; the view over the factory from the development kitchen; Olivier finalising a recipe; inspecting one of the new chocolate shells; Olivier’s personal chocolate conch; the space has already been cleared for the new cold press machine; Olivier comparing cold press samples; a three-page chocolate specification; smelling the aromas of the freshly conched chocolate.

9

scores

Classic Selection – D153 No. Chocolate Name

Chocolatier

10/10

Average

1

Champagne Bellini

O Nicod

35%

8.5

2

Pistachio Praline

R Macfadyen

30%

8.6

3

Salted Caramel Star

O Nicod

30%

8.4

4

Cappuccino Cup

E Desmet

29%

8.4

5

Drunken Hazelnut

O Nicod

28%

8.4

Chocolatier

10/10

Average 8.4

Champagne Bellini

DARK Selection – K86 No. Chocolate Name 1

Lemon & Passion Fruit

K Kalenko

33%

2

Champagne Bellini

O Nicod

29%

8.5

3

Cappuccino Cup

E Desmet

27%

8.3

4

Pistachio Praline

R Macfadyen

27%

8.3

5

Drunken Hazelnut

O Nicod

23%

8.5

Lemon & Passion Fruit

Elements Selection – S64 No. Chocolate Name

10/10

Average

1

Pistachio Praline

Chocolatier R Macfadyen

45%

8.6

2

Raspberry Romp

The Tasting Club

41%

7.9

3

Vanilla Dream

K Kalenko

38%

8.2

4

38% Milk Chocolate

The Tasting Club

34%

8.2

5

Salted Caramel Star

O Nicod

31%

7.9

10/10

Average

Pistachio Praline

purist Selection – p18 No. Chocolate Name

Chocolatier

1

65% Alto El Sol Dark, Peru

The Tasting Club

34%

8.8

2

Sour Cherry & Pecan Bûche

R Macfadyen

27%

8.3

3

Lemon Verbena Truffle

R Macfadyen

24%

8.3

4

Piedmont Hazelnuts & Raisin Bûche

O Nicod

17%

8.2

5

66% Sambirano Truffle

K Kalenko

17%

8.1 65% Alto El Sol Dark, Peru

ALL MILK Selection – M07 No. Chocolate Name

10

Chocolatier

10/10

Average

1

Grand Marnier Truffle

R Macfadyen

35%

7.9

2

Light Bite

G Pereira

27%

8.6 8.3

3

Velvet Bites

K Kalenko

27%

4

Caipirinha

R Macfadyen

27%

7.2

5

Costa Rica Coffee

O Nicod

19%

8.1

Grand Marnier Truffle

feedback

Your Tasting Comments!

Pistachio Praline – Classic If I could give this higher marks, I would. Superlative! What a combination!

Caramel and pistachio go so well together. More please!

Isabel Stainsby, Glasgow

Bouquet

Bouquet Hot Pineapple – Classic Looks stunning and tastes even better! This is the first chilli chocolate that I have clicked with…. Maybe I should enter the competition to design a choccie!!

Amanda McKenzie, Aberdeenshire

Hot Pineapple – Classic This was great until the chilli kicked in. How to turn a 10 out of 10 into a 3.

David Powell, Corsham

Brickbat

Bouquet Champagne Bellini – Dark This chocolate reminded me of a trip taken on The Orient Express to Venice, when Bellini’s were served at several meal times... exquisite.

Jane Crawford, Witney

Raspberry Romp – Elements Bursting with gorgeous raspberry flavour, interesting texture with a few crunchy bits alongside the smooth chocolate and great fun to look at.

Ann Millington-Jones, London

Bouquet

Salted Caramel Star – Dark This could be the ruin of me.

Irma Bull, Fareham

Bouquet

Lemon & Passion Fruit – Classic Lemon, yes. Passion fruit, yes. Lemon and passion fruit, no, no, no.

Carole Moores, Hyde

Brickbat

Salted caramel Star – Dark Much too salty – and the caramel sickly behind the salt.

I needed a strong black coffee to clear my palate.

Sandra Lunt, Cambridge

Brickbat

forastero 70% Dark Tasting Batons – Classic Top marks. Simple & delicious!

Jennifer Thompson, Ballyclare

Bouquet

Bison Grass Vodka – Dark Lovely and smooth. Whatever Bison Grass is, it does wonders for vodka.

Jennifer Lynn Eaton, Doncaster

Bouquet

11

What’s on

THE TASTING CALENDAR FOR 2013?

We have tasted an amazing array of special editions in 2012 – just wait until you see what 2013 has in store for us!

January

Easter Collections April 2013

Six of the Best Collection March 2013

SO I NG

ON!

COM

Grand Tour May 2013

British Classics September 2013 Summer Desserts Collection June 2013

I NG COM

N! SOO

Christmas Collections December 2013 The Excellence Collection October 2013

SO I NG

ON!

COM

Musicals Collection November 2013

December

Make sure you don’t miss your favourites – reserve online at www.chocs.co.uk or call 08444 933 933

YOUR FREE

CocoaJuvenate SAMPLE IS COMING As Tasting Club members we know all about the beauty if cocoa – we see it in our boxes every month.

B

ut the beauty of cocoa is more than just box deep, as you’ll find out in Hotel Chocolat’s brand new CocoaJuvenate range – a range of exclusive spa treatments perfected at Boucan Hotel’s spa on Saint Lucia using the rare Saint Lucian cocoa growing all around.

Each product in the range has been formulated to protect, renew and enliven. And don’t expect these new products to smell of chocolate, they are inspired by fresh cocoa and so have an invigorating, uplifting scent inspired from a freshly cut cocoa pod.

Your uplifting sample of CocoaJuvenate is coming soon

But don’t just take our word for it – look out for your FREE sample coming soon with your monthly tasting selection. You can find the range in-store and online now at www.hotelchocolat.co.uk/cocoajuvenate – perfect for personal pampering and as original Christmas gifts.

NOW YOU CAN GET IT OFF ONLINE TOO! Good news! Our new system of online discount codes is now up and running – which means you can now order online and take advantage of our special offers.

If you haven’t discovered our online services yet – then you’re missing out!

W

hich means that you can now do everything online, from checking your account balance, finding out when your next delivery is due and changing delivery addresses, to ordering specials and now, taking advantage of our regular members’ discounts.

Just keep an eye out for your special online discount codes in emails and on our usual promotional vouchers from now on. At the

moment you can save on our Christmas Special Editions – including any of our four Christmas Collections, Winter Puddings and Excellence for Christmas.

How to redeem your discount code online – just login at www.chocs.co.uk/MMM select your special edition and then enter the voucher code when prompted.

13

scores

SMALLER BOX BUT NO HALF MEASURES!

THE FORTIFIED SELECTION F10

The Fortified Selection is legendary amongst Tasting Club members for one reason – we make sure that each recipe we feature is brimming with its full measure of alcohol.

Since last summer, Fortified has been delivered in our special elongated box – to make room for the exclusive set of Provenance Cards that accompany every selection. But now that’s set to change as we have redesigned the Provenance Cards so that Fortified can revert to our regular size box. But don’t worry, it contains exactly the same number of chocolates as before and the recipes will be as uncompromising as ever!

Plus it means that we can use less packaging, which is always a good thing.

Don’t miss the next delicious instalment of Fortified – make sure yours is reserved via Manage My Membership at www.chocs.co.uk/ MMM or call 08444 933 933.

PROVENANCE CARD

BELGIUM Biercée

NCE PROV ENAD CAR

The story goes that, in the late 18th century, Napoleon’s personal physician, Count Antoine-François de Fourcroy, came up with the idea of soaking mandarins in alcohol and then blending the distillate with cognac.

It was around 100 years later that the doctor’s crude recipe was refined and eventually bottled in 1892 as Mandarine Napoléon.

In those days, mandarin oranges grew only in their native land of China and were imported into Europe via Tangiers. Here, they were regarded a luxury item and became a symbol of wealth, elitism and power.

After several attempts at growing mandarins across Europe, the Asian orange fared well in Corsica, where the young Napoleon was born.

CARIBBE

PROV ENA NCE CAR D

SEA

AN

NO .3

O RA

10/10

Average

1

Kirsch Surprise

E Desmet

39%

8.8

2

Speyside Whisky

G Pereira

38%

8.6

3

Amaretto Crunch

R Macfadyen

37%

8.7

4

Cointreau Bombe

K Kalenko

37%

8.6

5

Piña Colada

K Kalenko

35%

8.5

6

St-Remy Truffle

O Nicod

34%

8.7

7

Rum Soother

O Nicod

34%

8.6

8

Champagne Bellini O Nicod

33%

8.6

9

White Russian

33%

8.4

32%

8.4

G Pereira

SCOT

Glasgo

ough

THE RECI

PE

Kraken contains a secret different blend of spices. Those 13 include that we cinnamon, Its colour ginger and know cloves. like the is a rich, reddish mysterious black, the deadly ink with which Kraken would spray prey. Its its aroma and chocolate, initial taste subtle hintscoffee and molass is of es with of spice. flavour You of vanilla finish that leaves with a almost fruity you notes on the tonguewith .

NG

IE

w

LAND

Edinbu rgh

TAST

E You r Glenmfirst sen vanilla orangie se of citr us combine is the aro the and pea d with ma of van fruits illa, withch. You hints of with and finish a bur then tast a min st of fl e more a clean of that tang of ute lateoral peach. orange r and

ND

GIN

KRA KEN

launched in

14

NM

Chocolatier

Tain

Tain

Scarbor

SCOT LA

G LE

No. Chocolate Name

10 Grey Goose Truffle R Macfadyen

PROV EN CA RDANCE

and, of the time , began bizarre Port-of-S coffee houses pain now seem on its industrialby a what may founded still ’, customers ny was Bourne weighing scales – a service The compa as ‘the Widow coffee ers size coffee clients! Custom d lady known shop selling tea, fine to d include Aga up offered the who set spices, and later was no to be weighe Byron and wishing and exotic whisky. But this Pitt, Lord s are on record that TRINIDAD William address weight wines and with an Street is Khan, whose ry shop, 3 St Napoléon Mandarine James’s ordina were of this still is) to this day. people the name premium g brandy-style wasa(and Glen the 1830s, style of gin, but n, inspirin Until mo Londo a in liqueur and is believed a sweet single ran when Palace, gin. drinking lost favour emerged signature ite St James’s produ malt gie is a d wine to have been a favourite oppos this quickly alternative Rudd Situated wh Rudd suppliethe reign refined Bros & The Biercée Distillery, established in 1946, is a specialist in fruitRo brandy andced more Brosof& the emperor Berry tipple Berry Dry. spirit ss- still makes in the isky family during than for thecturers secret Mandarine Napoléon recipe manufa London fruit –all-important rstbase High shire, Tain, the royal eBonaparte.

No.3 as toNapoleon III and, morea business of the fi in the Georg was one the drier gin, with enjoys of King Besid lands BLEND on, it still royal of to create 300 years with London’s Glen Glen es a sm Scotla mor was selling Mandarine its classic. Napoléon is made today angie relationship 1765, Berrys able ’s 8-me been moran all bli nd. using mandarin orange peel from tre tall dwellings.By to the fashion p, Andalusia, Sicily and Corsica, where stills Scotch the be gie has PROD are coffee beans the it is deemed to be very fine with talles since singlest sellin Glenm UCTIO t in Scot little pith and lots of zest. try’s land N talle orangie has 1983 malt g st It is still made by traditional methods As the coun and spirit an nearly stills in is mad d tod “Put a the skins in alcohol ma 6% sha of macerating beast in rke re oldest wine, established produc eight Scotlan e using ay metres d, whi the belly” your and thenistriple to create compa t world of the e eleg thedistilled merchantas well ant the whi , are saidch, at sloga wide ny come an intense essence of orange. , n thatIt is millioTV advertise taste.

Hill. oak, sky’s s with an ment to Only in 1698 n pro du . Th blended with a Krak secret en combination use own sourced The cask light and whic rst to openin the the rum,year, mobottles ces ten e h takes as the fi it will barrelsn does of 21 herbs andits spices and matured of Mis forest in from Gle s are whi whichTHEreMAR every nam Gle from wine shop & the nm sou e e St theyears ensure only use to age nmora reachin ri in for three to produce astilldeep orangiete Oza myth onlin at No 3 are thanKETI the y Bros ical ngie rk its the eac creat 60 NG a g cellars Wh ’s und seais vaulted Bros shop and ure complexBerry flavour.

UKBeing new Antoine-François Fourcroy ile ex- strong h one whisky, ergo Scotlan US. Bef Mountains joyrum %de of 1994, Berr psulates . Countt,aen St and the stylish venue marke is said bou and are twic have wreathatJames’s a a lot ofed ininan establishedare leas two yea d, these ore employbourbo rbon now to e are though Rudd encation and has ed Glenm below bou rs of casks n cask base. to gone into t and money havoc ed with rum- ked rbonit asfor both smoot airin First there’s marketing other orangie to pro s at Jackfoura yea both tradi n in the and and duc a versati rs toh gsipping the packag Kraken. throughou running ships take on rum ‘finish variants ’s Origina e le cocktamat ing, a moder There areDaniel’s an antique innovatio sh business. shop at are l whi ure ent.mat ed’ in bin end a striking history. t nautical and il ingredi even advert n to style bottle, Briti cask age sky, ure popular Hea promo Basingstoke.and somew best of ising with wine, s form d and there’s a arters in design The signatute each drink. venvideosspirits.

NESS wine . Then there’s hat comic book sherry, erly then re cockta Berrys headquboasts twowith and family THE BUSI Rudd is a This the advert combin the US por used to also Carib ils are simple still bean rm ations s fi televisi & venue t ising, and The darkfine dining featuri – Kraken familie Kraken on campa two spice ng the , which Berry Bros other with lemon and Cola, s, a ign d .spirit school with the ement And fi.nally mythical sea Bomb is relaticellars in St James’s manag business, beast itself. drink) (mixed with ade, Kraken newnytohas there’s the ship and compa its dual vaulted vely tasting events the drink and Perfect an energy drink, with in owner marke the regular with ting angles Kraken markts, years, s hosts Storm, which and In recent into new marke et. Prod promoting a slice of ginger ale served is Kong, and uced ed Trini Hongdad lime. expand with and Tobain Japan and was offices in

MANDARINE NAPOLEON

The scores from the last quarterly Fortified Selection are in and, as you can see, the surprise of the box came with a big splash of kirsch, which clearly went down very well. There was also a good mix of new ideas and recreated classics in the top 10 – with Speyside Whisky, St-Remy Truffle and Grey Goose Truffle representing the classics; and Amaretto Crunch, Cointreau and Piña Colada leading the charge for the new creations.

go, it the US.

Kirsch Surprise

Speyside Whisky

Amaretto Crunch

news

HOTEL CHOCOLAT CHECKS INTO COPENHAGEN We’re delighted to announce that Hotel Chocolat’s store in Copenhagen is now open. It’s Hotel Chocolat’s second European store (the first opened in Amsterdam in the autumn) and at 2,000 sq feet, the shop on Østergarde is the largest to date! This latest opening is also the second Roast+Conch concept, following in the footsteps of the original in Covent Garden.

Which means that there is daily roasting of cocoa beans (usually delivered fresh from Saint Lucia), small batch chocolate making in the theatre kitchen, a Cocoa Bar and dishes from the Cacao Cuisine menu. That’s as well as a large range of Hotel Chocolat’s usual chocolate gifts and goodies.

So if you’re anywhere near, we’d thoroughly recommend dropping in to experience the irresistible aroma of roasting cocoa beans that fills the store. You’ll get to witness all aspects of the chocolate making process taking place

in the theatre kitchen – from roasting and winnowing, to conching and tempering. And you’ll also get to taste the brand new array of ‘cacao condiments’ that are central to the new café menu. They’ve been specially created to tie everything together with the flavours of cocoa – including Cacao Nib Infusion, White Chocolate Horseradish, Bacon Ganache, Cacao Pesto, Chocolate Mustard and more.

The opening party was a great success (with rave reviews from the Danish press), where guests tasted an array of ‘cacao cuisine’ canapés and small batch chocolate made there on the premises. The menu included smoked salmon on sesame rye bread with white chocolate horseradish; roast chicken breast on ciabatta toast with cacao nib satay; plantation-to-pot chocolate mousse; financier ca kes with Rabot Estate chocolate… Utterly mouth-watering!

15

exclusive offer

AN EXCLUSIVE OFFER FOR TASTING CLUB MEMBERS

20% Off at Boucan Hotel, Saint Lucia Discover cocoa and chocolate like never before, while enjoying Boucan’s luxurious blend of plantation-chic, stunning natural beauty and relaxing wellbeing.

With 20 % off accommodation for Tasting Club members at Boucan – on bookings made before 30th June 2013 *.

Availability and reservations – reservations @ thehotelchocolat.com or call (UK) 0844 544 1272 (USA) 800-757-7132 Quote – CLUBAA20 for your 20 % discount.

*Terms & Conditions 20% discount is for Tasting Club members and applies to accommodation booked before 30th June 2013 for holidays taken before 30th November 2013. Offer excludes packages. Minimum four-night stay. Offer excludes Christmas (20/12/12 to 2/1/13 inclusive) and Easter (27/3/13 to 3/4/13 inclusive). All other dates subject to availability. Discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Offer does not include flights. Flights are available daily from London Gatwick.