D113 R19 K46 S24 018346
THE
CHOCOLATE
TASTING CLUB
CHECK OUT THE NEW LOOK!
Last month we revealed that this would be the first of
our new slimmer boxes – but as you can see, we also had a few other surprises for you up our sleeve! It all started with the Great Letterbox Debate that members so enthusiastically contributed to. And because a substantial number of members were experiencing problems, due to standard letterboxes being reduced in size over the years, we embarked on designing a new box. Being friendly Ease of delivery by being letterbox-friendly has always been an important aspect of the Club, so were keen to reestablish our friendliness in that department! But redesigning the box proved to be a catalyst, because it started us thinking about other aspects of being friendly – particularly if we are being as environmentally friendly as we can. The new slimmer box already allows us to
use less material for the outer carton and inner chocolate box but could we do more? So, we’ve had a tip to toe review of everything, starting with the printed carton, which is now made from card accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) – see below for more on that. Our inner trays have been recyclable for a while now and that includes this new slimmer version – just look for the material symbol on the tray to see if your local authority can recycle it. Finally, the menu, scorecard and this very edition of Club News are all printed on
An end to the postman’s dreaded card? ...We hope so!
FSC certified paper. The Forest Stewardship Council, by the way, is an organisation that promotes the responsible management of the world’s forests – benefiting the people who work there and the environment. An continued on page 3...
Dear Club Members
W
elcome to your latest edition of Club News. And what an exciting month this is – what with a brand new box, a brand new design, a numbered menu and a not so new face writing this editorial! I say not so new because I’ve actually been working with the Tasting Club since the beginning, writing the articles for Club News and heading off to Ghana with Lynn amongst other things. So, as Lynn said last month, if you’re an avid reader of Club News, you’ll know me already – you just didn’t know it! After years of beavering away in the background, they’ve finally let me show my face! This month’s lead story is all about the changes you’ll have no doubt already noticed. The most dramatic of which is our brand new box complete with a new design. This is the first outing for our slimmer box, which will hopefully mean it will slip effortlessly through just about everyone’s letterbox. It might take your postman a while to notice so, if you see him or her, you might give a practical demonstration of how it works! Also this month there’s good news for you lucky devils jetting off on holiday as you can now find Hotel Chocolat in more airports, as well as a few handy tips about how to best store your chocolates if the weather gets hot. And finally, Lynn says her goodbyes this month and relives a few of her favourite moments. Until next month, happy tasting!
SNIPPETS FROM OUR STORES In Bluewater a lady asked for a large shopping basket and staff watched as she filled it up to the brim. She explained that she’d seen a gorgeous handbag but her husband wouldn’t let her get it, so chocolate was the only thing to help get over the disappointment!
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Simon Thirlwell Editor Send your letters to The Chocolate Tasting Club, Mint House, Royston SG8 5HL, or simply email me on simon@hotelchocolat.co.uk We are waiting to hear from you!
Continued from page one... approach that is very similar to our own Engaged Ethics programme of sustainable projects in the cocoa growing areas of Ghana and St Lucia – so it’s an organisation we really feel worth supporting. Root and branch But still we kept thinking and inevitably we started to look at the design on the box. We came to the conclusion that, although smart, the design lacked a link with what is at the heart of our Tasting Club – a true celebration of chocolate, its ingredients and its very origins. So, as you can see, we not only have a slimmer box, but a brand new look and Club
image to go with it. What’s more, the image is even more relevant than you might imagine – because if you look closely you’ll see one of St Lucia’s iconic Piton Mountains in the background. It’s the view that can be seen from between the cocoa trees at our Rabot Estate. So, while others may choose to depict cocoa pods on their packaging only we, to the best of our knowledge, can show them in a setting that is so representative of our roots. And finally… There is one last thing to tell you about. All of this thinking about where we have come from and what we are about
means that we’re changing from being the Hotel Chocolat Tasting Club and going back to being The Chocolate Tasting Club – which was the name of the Club for the first eight years. We’re still an integral part of the Hotel Chocolat family, but our emphasis here in Club is slightly different. We think that by reclaiming our original name and unveiling our new look, we now better reflect that emphasis. So all that is left to say is – what do you think? Members have always been a vocal bunch, so we look forward to hearing your views!
Tasting by Numbers We’re brimming with changes this month and we have one more to add to the list! When you open your tasting menu you’ll see that the chocolates are all now numbered. The sharp-eyed amongst you will have already seen that our trays have been numbered for some time. This was in response to feedback from members who thought that a numbering system would make identifying chocolates even easier – and we agreed. So why has it taken us a while to number the menu too? Well, mainly because sometimes we need to make a last minute switch around in the tray after the menu has been printed – usually due to the size or height of a chocolate. Hopefully our new trays will mean no more last minute switching, but if a chocolate turns out to be too big for its allotted space we feel sure you’ll forgive us – please! 3
CLaSSIC
SELECTION - D111 1. Drunken Mandarin
by O Coppeneur & G Bernardini 8.65 (39% scored it 10/10)
2. Cherry Butterscotch by E Desmet 8.63
(36% scored it 10/10)
3. Sugar Cane Praline by O Nicod 8.47 (25% scored it 10/10)
4. Macadamia & Coconut by O Nicod 8.36 (30% scored it 10/10)
5. Lemon Curd by EJ Whalley 8.31 (25% scored it 10/10) 6. rose & Grappa
by O Coppeneur & G Bernardini 8.26 (32% scored it 10/10)
7. Praline Crisp by k kalenko 8.21 (22% scored it 10/10) 8. Pecan Mousse by EJ Whalley 8.21 (29% scored 10/10)
Dark
SELECTION - k44
1. Classic Fudge 8.39
2. Cherry Butterscotch by E Desmet 8.36 (32% scored it 10/10)
2. Caramel Stripe Tasting Batons 8.37 (20% scored it 10/10)
3. Drunken Mandarin
3. Milk-on-Milk 8.27
by O Coppeneur & G Bernardini 8.27 (39% scored it 10/10)
4. Caribbean Coffee by JC Vandenberghe 8.17 (29% scored it 10/10)
5. rose & Grappa
by O Coppeneur & G Bernardini 8.10 (23% scored it 10/10)
(25% scored it 10/10)
13. Belgian Milk Tasting Batons 7.90 (20% scored it 10/10) 14. Chocolate Florentine by k kalenko 7.86
4. Belgian Milk Chocolate 8.12 (13% scored it 10/10)
5. Macadamia & Coconut 7.78 (26% scored it 10/10)
6. Vanilla White 7.70 (16% scored it 10/10)
7. Macadamia & Coconut by O Nicod 7.79 (17% scored it 10/10)
(13% scored it 10/10)
8. Sugar Cane Praline by O Nicod 7.73 (14% scored it 10/10)
(10% scored it 10/10)
(25% scored it 10/10)
9. Lemon Curd by EJ Whalley 7.68
(8% scored it 10/10)
12. Caribbean Coffee by JC Vandenberghe 7.98
(30% scored it 10/10)
7. Berry Bites 7.53
10. Caramel Stripe Tasting Batons 8.08 (26% scored it 10/10) (21% scored it 10/10)
(39% scored it 10/10)
6. Chocolate Florentine by k kalenko 7.91
(19% scored it 10/10)
11. Cookies & Cream by E Desmet 8.04
SELECTION - S22
1. Champagne Cocktail by M Meier 8.53 (31% scored it 10/10)
9. Champagne Cocktail by M Meier 8.19 (29% scored it 10/10)
SOLID
10. apricot Praline by M Piaggesi & O Nicod 7.67 11. Pecan Mousse by EJ Whalley 7.64
(13% scored it 10/10)
8. Flower Power 7.42 9. Chilli & almond Canapé 6.25 BOuquET rose & Grappa – “Top marks for a truly interesting chocolate, grabbed my attention straight away. Beautiful rose flavour and just the right amount of booze!” Gayle rodgers, Stranraer.
(13% scored 10/10)
12. Praline Crisp by k kalenko 7.60 (10% scored it 10/10)
13. Caramel Stripe Tasting Batons 7.52 (21% scored it 10/10) 14. Cookies & Cream by E Desmet 7.46 (15% scored it 10/10)
BOuquET Macadamia & Coconut – “What a fabulous combination! i love macadamia and i love coconut, so this was always going to be a goodun, but it was way more than that!” Minnie Fraser, Mickley.
(26% scored it 10/10)
15. apricot Praline
by M Piaggesi & O Nicod 7.84 (20% scored it 10/10) 4
BriCkBAT Chilli & Almond Canapé – “i will never like chilli - not even when blended with incredible chocolate! Leave the almond in and leave the chilli out.” Carolina Mountford, London.
Who’s Feeling
FrUITY? It was certainly very difficult to tell last year, but the onset of the British summer usually means that a certain style of recipe starts to outperform the others. SoME PEoPLE look at pinecones, others have a feeling in their bones, but we get an early indication of summer from you our members. and so when this month’s scores started to come through, we looked on eagerly to see if the summer really was here yet. Looking at the Classic and Dark scores, the indications are looking good. allow us to explain – broadly speaking, when the weather turns warmer, we naturally start to appreciate lighter recipes when it comes to chocolate. So if we look at the top half of the
BOuquET Champagne Cocktail – “Best in box - blew my socks off!” Diana Patterson, ingatestone. Classic box this month we see it is peppered with the lighter recipes like Praline Crisp, rose & Grappa and Macadamia & Coconut. Not to mention those recipes with a good dose of fruitiness like Lemon Curd, Cherry Butterscotch and this month’s winning chocolate, Drunken Mandarin. as far as our dark chocolate tasters are concerned, they too followed the pattern with the top half of their score chart featuring similarly light recipes. Fulfilling the fruity quota, Cherry Butterscotch and Drunken Mandarin finished in third and second place respectively, while Champagne Cocktail topped the chart – a light ganache if you remember.
Drunken Mandarin staggered to the top spot
BOuquET Classic Fudge – “Best chocolate in this selection, i’d eat bag-fulls. Perfect fudge, good chocolate surround, topped off with a joyous little button.” Tara kirkpatrick, Manchester. When creating the monthly selections we take into account this natural change of appetite – with our chocolatiers tailoring their recipes to suit the season. Even so, if you look at the bottom half of the Classic and Dark score charts, you’ll see the relatively ‘less light’ recipes cropping up – like Caramel Tasting Batons, Cookies & Cream, Belgian Milk Batons and Caribbean Coffee. Meanwhile, our Solid Chocolate tasters provided the exception that proves the rule… A quick look at their chart sees the extremely comforting Classic Fudge at the top, closely followed by Caramel Stripe Tasting Batons. Then again, that could well be a comment on our fudge recipe more than anything else! Of course, this is not an exact science by any means because preferences vary from member to member, from day to day and even from hour to hour – we all probably have our own favourite type of chocolate to round off a good dinner no matter what the time of year!
BriCkBAT Cookies & Cream – “Yuck! The chocolate was nice but the cream was flavourless and ‘slimy’.” Allison Lane, Bedford. 5
SNIPPETS FrOM OUr STOrES in Brighton a customer came in to buy herself a box of Cocktails to Chill. She explained that she’d taken some to a dinner party recently but, despite repeated hints, they didn’t open them!
THE FOrTIFIED r rTIFIED COLLECTION – Members’ Cocktail winner announced! THaNk YOU to everyone who took time to vote for their favourite ingredients online so that we could create a true Members’ Cocktail for this year’s Fortified Collection. We asked if you could choose a favourite alcohol, a fruity little number to go with it and finally your preferred chocolate to encase it. So, did members go for champagne, vodka or Grand Marnier…? Did zesty orange, refreshing raspberry or classic cherry win the day? We’re pleased to announce that the exclusive Members’ Cocktail is a gorgeous blend of Grand Marnier and Cherry – what a great choice that is if we may say so! and now that you’ve helped us fill that last remaining space in the box, we can reveal that the Fortified Collection is now available to order. For those of you who have experienced the Fortified Collection before, then you know what’s coming! If you haven’t and you like your 6
chocolates with a boozy kick, then you’re in for a gorgeous surprise! With two each of 18 recipes all made with a different liqueur or alcohol, it’s perfect to share with like-minded tasters, although you may like to sit down first… So if you’re partial to chocolates with a real kick, please make sure you reserve yours as soon as possible – if you haven’t already that is! Order online at www.chocs.co.uk/fortified4 Or call us on 08444 933 933
SIMON Says…
Having spent the last few years writing articles for Club News
every month, I’ve suddenly become a little shy when asked to introduce myself to you as the new editor!
PERHaPS iT’S BECauSE for many years I’ve been working in the background and now I’m suddenly in full view? Or perhaps it’s because I feel like I’m taking over from a national institution? Lynn has, after all, been an integral part of the Club for many years. Hopefully those years I’ve spent working with Lynn will stand me in good stead for the job ahead. and they have certainly been eventful years – with numerous and eventful trips to the cocoa growing regions of Ghana; lively discussions about articles, spelling and grammar (Lynn enjoys the finer points of grammar even more than I do!); and then there was my European driving tour of chocolatiers during which I not only learned a great deal about their art, I also got lost more times than I care to admit… You might have noticed that I share a surname with Club Founder, angus Thirlwell, which isn’t a bizarre coincidence, we are in fact brothers – though I would like to point out that I am the younger sibling! It’s thanks to angus that I discovered my own passion for chocolate and my trips to Ghana have helped nurture that. Finally, although the email address may have changed slightly, it’s very much business as usual here at Club News and we always love to hear from you – so please don’t hesitate to get in touch!
Simon in Osuben village with nursery manager, David
Email: simon@hotelchocolat.co.uk Or write to: Simon, The Chocolate Tasting Club, Mint House, royston SG8 5HL.
SNIPPETS FrOM OUr STOrES During a huge thunderstorm in Leeds, a lady rushed in to find shelter. as the storm rumbled on outside for over an hour, she happily settled in to wait, bought some selectors and then proceeded to share them with staff. 7
Bon Voyage!
Lynn has clearly made an impression with the cocoa farmers of Osuben village – this baby is named after her!
Last month we announced that Lynn is taking up an exciting, new role that will see her travelling overseas for Hotel Chocolat. So this month we’ve given Lynn free rein to say her goodbyes and share some of her highlights as Tasting Club Manager. Love at first bite Can you believe that the first tasting selection I came across was D7? To put that into perspective, this month’s box is number D113! It was given to me during my interview with Club Founders Angus and Terry – I fell for the whole idea immediately. And to prove the point I ate the lot at home, in one go… so nothing has changed there over the years! Back then we had about 500 regular members and I could probably recognise just about every name. However, seeing the Club grow and sharing my passion for our chocolate with more and more members has definitely been one of the highlights. As has the trip I took with Angus when we scoured Europe for chocolatiers who
“
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shared our values for authentic and exciting chocolates. Many of those chocolatiers are now household names amongst members and I’m especially proud that I was the one to ‘discover’ the wonders of Olivier Coppeneur and Georg Bernardini. I will, of course, still be closely involved with our Engaged Ethics programme in Ghana, not least because it is another of my ‘babies’. But the first time I walked in a cool, shaded cocoa farm and saw pods being harvested is something that will probably stay with me forever. As will the nightmarish episode with lost luggage that was Simon’s unfortunate first taste of Ghana… The airline managed to ‘misplace’ both of our bags and, as we had to head for the remote
cocoa growing region, we were forced to leave without them. But all was not lost, as they kindly found our bags and we had several minutes to spare until our return flight. I still can’t shake the memory of those dubious outfits we had to hastily buy at the local supermarket!
Yummy! I also fondly remember each and every box design we’ve ever had. Who recalls the very first one in gold with ‘Subtle, Exquisite, Yummy’ emblazoned across it? We’ve certainly come a long way since then and this latest design is by far the best I’ve seen! And the same goes for the Excellence Collection. We put the first one together not knowing if anyone would be interested at all… and now we have thousands of orders for it every year.
Don’t forget to write! This Club would obviously not be the same without members and I must say that the day we met our 100 Club members was very special indeed – the first 100 people to receive 100 tasting
SNIPPETS FROM OUR STORES Staff in our Knightsbridge swooned slightly as Colin Firth and his family strode into the store. boxes are clearly as dedicated as I am! There are also a great many of you that I feel I’ve come to know personally after years of correspondence – ‘BN’, you know who you are and I hope we got it right this year again! And finally, the thoughtfulness of our members is something that never failed to constantly delight me – the notes, the emails, the hundreds of Christmas cards and all of the best wishes I received when I got married two years ago. I’ll be sure to keep in touch but, in the meantime, I trust you’ll write just as often to Simon!
”
PLANE CHOCOLATE If you’re jetting off on your hols this summer, then we’ve got some good news for you. You can now find Hotel Chocolat in even more airports across the country. So whether you need a little something to nibble on your flight, or an exclusive taste of British chocolate to take as a gift at the other end, we’ll be there to help! You can now find Hotel Chocolat at: London Heathrow Terminal 5 London Heathrow Terminal 3 London Gatwick South Manchester Terminal 1 Edinburgh 9
The Story Behind the Image
While searching for an image that would truly reflect what
The Chocolate Tasting Club is all about, we started looking at antique botanical prints. Their elegance and simplicity hit all the right notes, but still we could not find exactly the right image for us.
It was then that Angus, Club Founder, produced a photo from his most recent trip to St Lucia. It was a shot taken between the cocoa trees on the slopes of Rabot Estate looking down towards the sea, with a tantalising glimpse of the iconic Piton Mountains. We knew right then that this was the image for us. So we asked the artist Darren Hill (who has already created many stunning designs for us such as Halloween and
Fortified Collection) to recreate the view using the elegant, simple lines of pen and ink. The result is something we feel perfectly captures the core values of our Club – from the Trinitario pods and cocoa leaves in the foreground, to the granite and wood estate building and the towering Piton Mountain in the background. We hope you agree!
SNIPPETS FROM OUR STORES A lady came to our Bromley store looking specifically for chocolate from our Rabot Estate. Her surname is Rabot and she plans to give it to all of her friends and family! 10
SNIPPETS FROM OUR STORES Staff in Maidstone were delighted when a regular customer dropped by to give them a taste of a chocolate mousse that he’d made with our chocolate. He’s obviously now their favourite customer!
Summer chocolate storage
If You Can’t Stand The Heat… With warm summery weather (hopefully) upon us, you may find that
it’s not just your garden that is blooming. Bloom in the chocolate world refers to white or grey patches that appear on chocolate. So what can you do about it? There are two different kinds of bloom. The first, fat bloom, is triggered by high or fluctuating temperatures causing some of the cocoa butter to rise to the surface and reset. The good news is that, unsightly though it is, it won’t affect the taste of the chocolate. Dark chocolate, containing a good quantity of cocoa butter is particularly sensitive to fat bloom. Mass produced chocolate that contains vegetable fat instead of cocoa butter does not suffer from fat bloom. The second, more serious type, sugar bloom, occurs when moisture comes into contact with the chocolate, causing it to dissolve and crystallise on the outside. This can make the chocolate grey and gritty – it’s edible but unlikely to please the palate! So, in warm temperatures, we’d recommend chilling your chocolates in the refrigerator. You
can also reform slightly melted chocolates in this way. But to keep out the moisture-laden air seal the box in a plastic bag. During warm spells we also take the following precautions to ensure your chocolates arrive in good condition: • We upgrade your delivery to 1st Class (at no cost to you) • We store the chocolates in temperaturecontrolled conditions until the very last minute • We do not despatch chocolates on Fridays so they aren’t lying around depots over the weekend • We print a special message to postmen on the envelope Enjoy the summer! 11
THiS MoNTH’S PRizE DRaW WiNNERS
Classic Selection prize draw
winner is Mrs V Brier of Holmfirth who wins a Cocktails to Chill Sleekster.
CaPTION COMPETITION THaNK you all for your witty captions that have certainly kept us entertained here. You were clearly inspired by this shot of John Hadley, our retiring Operations Director, inspecting one of his machines. So, without further ado, we reveal the winning caption.
Next month’s prize is a Summer Goody Bag – the season’s must-have bag brimming with gorgeous chocolate goodies!
Dark Selection prize draw winner is Mr A Hart of Polegate who wins a Dark Fruit & Nut Giant Slab.
Next month’s prize is a Serious Dark Fix – a collection of 32 of our most exciting dark chocolate recipes.
Solid Chocolate
prize draw winner is Miss A Wardley of Wolverhampton who wins a Tutti Frutti Giant Slab. Next month’s prize is Toffee & Fudge – a box dedicated to toffee, fudge and the deep flavours of caramel.
“You can come out now Angus. The chocolate and marmite debate is over.” Congratulations to our winner, Barbara Murphy from Cambridgeshire, who wins an Exuberantly Fruity Selection.
Don’t forget - you can score by post or onlineDark at www.chocs.co.uk Write to us at: The Chocolate Tasting Club, Mint House, Royston, SG8 5HL Email: simon@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