D125 R31 K58 S36 016816
Rabot Estate comes to central London We’ve tasted some of Rabot Estate’s cocoa in chocolate featured here in the Tasting Club, but now the Rabot experience is available direct, through a brand new shop and café in London.
A
nd where better place to choose than in London’s renowned foodie quarter, the award-winning Borough Market? The aim of this unique shop and café is to allow customers to experience something that isn’t possible elsewhere in the UK – to get up close and personal with cocoa and to get a real feel for what it’s like on our Saint Lucian cocoa plantation. The key lies in demystifying every aspect of cocoa, from planting and cultivating the crop, to harvesting, fermenting and drying the bean. And,
of course, tasting and experiencing the product at its best. In short, the aim is make high quality, pure cocoa and cocoa products accessible to chocolate aficionados here in the UK. Chocolate, of course, is one of the main draws and there’s a range of single estate chocolate from Rabot to try, both in its pure form and with exciting partners like Piedmont hazelnuts, cocoa nibs and crêpes dentelles. That’s as well as chocolates from selected estates elsewhere in the world, according to harvest and availability.
continued on page 3...
Dear Club Members
W
elcome to your latest edition of Club News. Inside your Tasting Box this month you’ll find the menu and scorecard sporting a brand new look – and coming next month is an equally stylish facelift for Club News too – do let us know what you think. On the front-page this month you’ll see that Rabot Estate has arrived in London. Not literally, of course, but the new shop in the foodie’s paradise that is Borough Market does have the feel of the place, not to mention the taste of it too! I realise that not everyone is in striking distance of London, but if you are, or if you’re planning a visit, then I’d highly recommend you drop in for a cocoa tea. Whether or not you have a shot of West Indian rum in it is entirely up to you – I do! Come rain or shine… Summer Desserts is set to be a sizzler – see page 12
Elsewhere in this issue you’ll see that we’re busy planning our next visit to Ghana in September. We can’t wait to see the new truck in action for ourselves and will naturally bring back lots of new photos for Club News. And finally, if you’re feeling in a witty mood, there’s a great competition for you this month. Until next month, happy tasting!
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!
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Continued from page one... Authentic cocoa tea – as loved by Samuel Pepys Drop in and you’ll also be able to enjoy authentic cocoa tea – a stimulating and powerful drink made from unrefined cocoa from The Rabot Estate, melted into warm milk. Historically, cocoa tea has already been a big hit with the British – it was widely enjoyed, especially in the famous coffee houses of 17th century London, and it was well documented by the famous diarist, Samuel Pepys, who was a big fan. Cocoa Tea was the drink to be seen with from the 1650s until around the 1750s, at which point the sweeter, more refined version, hot chocolate became more readily available. But cocoa tea’s roots go much deeper than that – it’s the closest descendant we have of the drink created by the ancient Olmec and Aztec civilisations thousands of years ago. And besides being full of deeply authentic cocoa
flavours, it’s also brimming with antioxidants, the naturally occurring feel-good compounds in cocoa and a good caffeine kick to get you going. At the Rabot Estate store you can try it either unsweetened, spiced, or even with a dash of Saint Lucian rum if you’re feeling in the holiday mood! And if you have more time on your hands and you’re feeling a bit peckish, then you really must try some of the innovative, cocoa-inspired food on offer. Cocoa started life as a savoury ingredient all those thousands of years ago, and you’ll find both sweet and savoury nibbles at Robot Estate. Current favourites include – Goats Cheese Bitter Chocolate & Honey; Gravadlax with Spiced Cacao Crème Fraîche; Banana, Salted Caramel & Cacao Nibs Toasted in Brioche; and a Warm Crumpet Chocolate Spread and Roasted Hazelnuts.
If you live in or around London, or you’re just there for the weekend, a visit to Borough Market must be high on the list of places to visit – it’s an amazing foodie experience in its own right. And now if you’re there you can experience the authentic flavours of Rabot Estate right in the heart of London. But don’t forget to take your Membership Card, as you can claim your 5% discount here too. And speaking of Rabot Estate, next month’s issue of Club News is not one to miss – there’s some extremely exciting news coming!
For more information, directions and opening times please see www.rabotestate.com 3
CLASSIC
SELECTION – D122
Dark ELEMENTS
SELECTION – K55
1. Feuilletine Frenzy by E Desmet
1. Indian Summer by R Macfadyen
8.34 (27% scored it 10/10)
8.52 (36% scored it 10/10)
2. Blackberry & Apple Custard by O Coppeneur & G Bernardini 8.33
2. Cosy Coffee by K Kalenko 8.41
(36% scored it 10/10)
3.Apricot Slammer by O Coppeneur & G Bernardini 8.33
3. Chocolate Soufflé by E Desmet
8.30 (33% scored it 10/10)
(30% scored it 10/10)
(25% scored it 10/10)
8.22 (23% scored it 10/10)
(21% scored it 10/10)
8.15 (23% scored 10/10)
7. Orange Caramel by R Macfadyen
7. 33% Milk Tasting Batons 8.15
(27% scored it 10/10) 10. Indian Summer by R Macfadyen
8.04 (31% scored it 10/10)
scored it 10/10) 4. Feuilletine Frenzy by E Desmet
6. Praline Plus by K Kalenko 7.83
6. Orange Caramel by R Macfadyen
9. Ginger Nut by K Kalenko 8.11
8.23 (19% scored it 10/10) 3. 33% Milk Chocolate 8.22 (25%
(33% scored it 10/10)
(34% scored it 10/10)
it 10/10)
scored it 10/10) 2. Belgian Blend Tasting Batons
5. Blackcurrant Bombe by O Coppeneur & G Bernardini 8.04
5. Apricot Slammer by O Coppeneur & G Bernardini 8.19
8. Amadeus Buttercream by JC Vandenberghe 8.12 (25% scored
1. Caramelissimo 8.79 (40%
8.12 (28% scored it 10/10)
4. Mellow Gianduja by O Nicod
(22% scored it 10/10)
SELECTION – S23
4. Orange Caramel by R Macfadyen
7.61 (19% scored it 10/10)
8.32 (20% scored 10/10) 5. Amadeus Buttercream by JC Vandenberghe 8.29 (27% scored
it 10/10) 6. Blackberry & Apple Custard by O Coppeneur & G Bernardini 8.25
(29% scored it 10/10) 7. Ginger Nut by K Kalenko 8.23
(22% scored it 10/10) 8. Feuilletine Frenzy by E Desmet
8.22 (22% scored it 10/10) 9. Chocolate Soufflé by E Desmet
8.20 (20% scored it 10/10) 10. Mellow Gianduja by O Nicod
8.16 (23% scored it 10/10) 11. Cosy Coffee by K Kalenko 8.01
(30% scored it 10/10) 12. Belgian Blend Milk Tasting Batons 7.93 (23% scored it
10/10) 13. Praline Plus by K Kalenko 7.90
(21% scored it 10/10) 14. Salted Peanut Heart by O Nicod
11. Chuao Dark Tasting Batons 8.14
(20% scored it 10/10) 12. Cuban Blend Dark Tasting Batons 8.14 (18% scored it
10/10) 13. Almond Adventure by R Macfadyen 7.90 (19% scored it
10/10)
7.85 (16% scored it 10/10)
14. Praline Plus by K Kalenko 7.79
15. Almond Adventure by R Macfadyen 7.26 (16% scored it
15. Salted Peanut Heart by O Nicod
10/10)
4
(23% scored it 10/10) 7.58 (9% scored it 10/10)
8. Salted Peanut Heart by O Nicod
7.48 (15% scored it 10/10) 9. Almond Adventure by 7.17 (15% scored it 10/10) 10. Chuao Dark Tasting Batons 6.68 (18% scored it 10/10)
Bouquet Blackberry & Apple Custard – Classic “My partner thinks he has died and gone to heaven... I need to get more to keep him quiet!” Gordon Smith, Machynlleth BRICKBAT Almond Adventure – Dark “Would be good as a bar – too simple for a boxed chocolate.” Gillian Watts, Rushden Bouquet Indian Summer – Dark “Excellent alcohol hit with warm underlying tones.” Christopher O’Grady, Preston BRICKBAT Indian Summer – Classic “Did you forget to add the amaretto, coffee and the vodka – tasted like cognac!” Amanda McKenzie, Cruden Bay Bouquet Feuilletine Frenzy – Classic “Ridiculously delicious. Has anyone ever spontaneously combusted through sheer pleasure?” Sue Page, Halesowen BRICKBAT Chuao Dark Batons – Elements “Rather bland and not nearly as tasty, exciting and interesting as other batons.” Kris Musikant, London Bouquet Chuao Dark Batons – Dark “The best ever, fantabulous, this is how all plain chocolate should taste – the complexity of flavours was a revelation, more Chuao please. Karen Miller, Dereham
Check out the new look! As you might have already noticed, this month we’re sporting a smart new look. There’s a new format and a new look for the menu and the scorecard – with an equally stylish new look coming for Club News next month. The new format for the menu now has the scorecard integrated into it. So for all of you postal scorers, there’ll be no more searching out the menu to remind yourself of what’s what – all the information you’ll need will be right there. Of course, the new layout also means that we use less paper, which is always a good thing. And just as before, all of the paper we do use, for packaging, menus and Club News, is from sources accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).The FSC, if you haven’t already heard of it, is an organisation that promotes the responsible management of the world’s forests – benefiting the people who work there and the environment.
So what do you think? Don’t hesitate to let us know, we’d love to hear what you think of our new look. 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!
New look menu and scorecards 5
EASTER Collection Scores Milk 1. Fruity Mousse Egg by K Kalenko 8.75 (41% scored it 10/10) 2. Caramel Egg by O Nicod by 8.70 (39% scored it 10/10) 3. Milk Praline Egg by R Macfadyen 8.61 (41% scored it 10/10) 4. Champagne Truffle Egg by M Meier 8.61 (41% scored it 10/10) 5. Sticky Toffee Egg by R Macfadyen 8.55 (40% scored it 10/10) 6. Blueberry Truffle Egg by O Coppeneur & G Bernardini 8.55 (35% scored it 10/10) 7. Prosecco Truffle Egg by M Meier 8.51 (34% scored it 10/10) 8. Cherry Pannacotta Egg by O Coppeneur & G Bernardini 8.50 (38% scored it 10/10) 9. Gianduja Egg by O Nicod 8.43 (28% scored it 10/10) 10. Amaretto Truffle Egg by K Kalenko 8.26 (41% scores it 10/10) 11. Coffee Caramel Egg by M Meier 8.25 (35% scores it 10/10) 12. Milk & Cookies Egg by E Desmet 8.23 (30% scores it 10/10) 13. Zesty Praline Egg by R Macfadyen 8.20 (31% scores it 10/10) 14. Golden Rum Truffle Egg by K Kalenko 8.15 (37% scores it 10/10) 15.Tipsy Orange Truffle Egg by E Desmet 8.09 (28% scores it 10/10)
Dark 1. Coffee Caramel Egg by M Meier 8.79 (45% scores it 10/10) 2. Scotch Egg by O Coppeneur & G Bernardini 8.65 (48% scored it 10/10) 3. Tipsy Orange Truffle Egg by E Desmet 8.58 (36% scores it 10/10) 4. Champagne Truffle Egg by M Meier 8.49 (41% scored it 10/10) 5. Golden Rum Truffle Egg by K Kalenko 8.48 (54% scores it
10/10) 6. Zesty Praline Egg by R Macfadyen 8.44 (25% scores it 10/10) 7. Cherry Pannacotta Egg by O Coppeneur & G Bernardini 8.38 (44% scored it 10/10) 8. Sticky Toffee Egg by R Macfadyen 8.37 (38% scored it 10/10) 9. Caramel Egg by O Nicod by 8.34 (31% scored it 10/10) 10. Fruity Mousse Egg by K Kalenko 8.27 (29% scored it 10/10) 11. Milk & Cookies Egg by E Desmet 8.22 (17% scores it 10/10) 12. Classic Praline Egg by R Macfadyen 8.21 (29% scored it 10/10) 13. Amaretto Truffle Egg by K Kalenko 8.11 (41% scores it 10/10) 14. Gianduja Egg by O Nicod 8.08 (28% scored it 10/10) 15. Prosecco Truffle Egg by M Meier 7.76 (37% scored it 10/10)
MIX 1. Coffee Caramel Egg by M Meier
8.93 (49% scores it 10/10) 2. Blueberry Truffle Egg by O Coppeneur & G Bernardini 8.65
(37% scored it 10/10) 3. Sticky Toffee Egg by R Macfadyen 8.58 (43% scored it
10/10) 4. Champagne Truffle Egg by M Meier 8.57 (38% scored it 10/10) 5. Cherry Pannacotta Egg by O Coppeneur & G Bernardini 8.52
(42% scored it 10/10) 6. Caramel Egg by O Nicod by
8.51 (39% scored it 10/10) 7. Prosecco Truffle Egg by M Meier
8.49 (34% scored it 10/10) 8. Fruity Mousse Egg by K Kalenko
8.38 (28% scored it 10/10) 9. Classic Praline Egg by R Macfadyen 8.35 (30% scored it
10/10) 10. Gianduja Egg by O Nicod 8.31
(24% scored it 10/10) 11. Amaretto Truffle Egg by K Kalenko 8.27 (36% scores it
10/10) 12. Zesty Praline Egg by R Macfadyen 8.14 (22%
scores it 10/10) 13.Tipsy Orange Truffle Egg by E Desmet 8.07
(24% scores it 10/10) 14. Golden Rum Truffle Egg by K Kalenko 8.04
(43% scores it 10/10) 15. Milk & Cookies Egg by E Desmet 8.00 (23% scores
it 10/10) 6
Bouquet General Comment – Classic “What a triumph! We have never scored all 10s. A wonderful collection. How can you beat this next year?” June Davis, Pontyclun
BRICKBAT Milk & Cookies Egg – Classic “Toooooooooo small. Come on, was this a recession buster or something. Tasted fantastic, but next time can I have the rest of it?” Ian Bresman,Woking Bouquet Coffee Caramel Egg – Classic “One of the nicest coffee chocolates I’ve ever had and coffee is one of my favourite centres – so I’ve had a few.” Isabel Stainsby, Glasgow BRICKBAT Fruity Mousse Egg – Dark “Fruitiness was nicely tangy, texture weird though.” Aisling Doherty,Winchester Bouquet Classic Egg Shells “Can I just comment on how wonderful the actual Easter Egg was? If it was possible to score more than ten, the Easter Egg would have got it. Absolutely gorgeous!” Matt Wavish, Plymouth
We’re off to Ghana again It has been a busy few months in the Osuben Region of Ghana, especially with the arrival of the new truck and the peak of the seedling season upon us. So we’re very much looking forward to this year’s visit to Ghana – to see for ourselves the great progress that our partners Bob, Stephen and Isaac have made. Unfortunately, and for the first time ever, Lynn cannot make the trip this year. Instead, the team that will fly out in September will be made up of Tasting Club Managing Director,Terry, Club Co-ordinator, Essie, and Club News Editor, Simon – who is no stranger to Ghana, having made four trips already and this will be Terry’s second visit. Terry told us, “It certainly won’t be the same
going to Ghana without Lynn and she is disappointed not to be able to make it this year. However, these hands-on visits are extremely useful for our Engaged Ethics programme, because it’s when we see for ourselves what can be done to further improve the livelihoods of farmers.We’ll bring you back a cocoa pod Lynn!”
Bouquet General Comment – Dark “This is what the Club is all about. There were a number of centres I don’t usually like, but when they were made egg-shaped, it made all the difference! The egg itself was absolutely wonderful too.” Lynn Eaton, Doncaster 7
INTER-NOT
– the results of our survey of those who don’t use our website
We’ve recently discovered that less than 50% of members venture onto the Club website. That’s way below the national average for internet usage, so we thought we’d ask why – and clearly we couldn’t ask in our usual online survey! So here’s what we found out from our survey into this carried in Club News a few months ago.
First of all, it turns out that a huge tranche of members who do not use our website don’t have access to a computer – making up a whopping 43% of those who responded. So that explains why a great many members haven’t used the Club website, but what of the 57% of responders who said they did have a computer? The vast majority have tried using a computer (89%) and they’re equally split between those who have tried using the website and those who haven’t. So now we’re getting to the crux of the matter and closer to answering our original question – why don’t you use the website – because 59% of responders said they’d had difficulties in using the website. Top of those difficulties was understanding what do (25%), closely flowed by people having trouble logging in (24%). And finally, with 20% each, members also reported difficulties in remembering their passwords and in giving the website an instruction and nothing happening.
8
Conclusions Well, it’s clear that a great many members would be keen to use the Club website and have the means with which to do it (a computer always helps!). But it is also clear that we can help by making the website easier to navigate and easier to log in to. But there is good news for that 20% who reported having trouble remembering their password, just click on ‘forgotten password?’ at the log in area and we’ll email you a reminder. We are in the process of reviewing our website, so these results will be most helpful in helping us do just that – thank you to everyone who took time to take part. And finally, we promised a Giant Slab to one of our lucky respondents and we’re delighted to reveal that the winner is Winner is Mrs M A Baxter of Chester.
Your Giant Slab is on the way!
Where’s Lynn
now…?
Former Tasting Club Manager, Lynn Cunningham, opened the first of Hotel Chocolat’s international franchises in Bahrain earlier this year in her role as Hotel Chocolat’s People & Ethics Director. She then, moved swiftly on to preside over a second store in Dubai. And although both of those store openings threw up a raft of interesting surprises – including members of staff delayed thousands of miles away, several brushes with bureaucracy and a ‘miss-communication’ over opening times – undaunted Lynn went on to complete her hat trick of stores last month with the opening of Hotel Chocolat Kuwait. All three stores are reportedly causing quite a stir. That now completes Lynn’s overseas adventures for now, so in answer to the question – where’s Lynn now – well, we’re not sure.
Do let us know if you spot her!
We did it – Lynn throws open the doors to Hotel Chocolat Bahrain 9
Sweet TALKING Were your ears burning recently? It wouldn’t surprise us, because Peter Harris, Hotel Chocolat Cofounder, was recently invited to speak at Cambridge University and you did crop up in the conversation.
The invitation was to address the MBA students at Cambridge Judge Business School. As a group of aspiring entrepreneurs, they were naturally very interested to hear the secret of the success of Hotel Chocolat and The Chocolate Tasting Club. And, as Peter explained how the company grew from small beginnings to now spanning from shops and chocolate making, to growing cocoa at
Rabot Estate in Saint Lucia, he underlined the important role the Tasting Club plays. More to the point, he talked about the importance of the relationship that we have with you our members. It’s rare for a company to develop such a strong relationship with its customers and it’s one that we cherish – after all, your feedback helps develop many recipes that go on to feature in the Hotel Chocolat range.
Peter Harris (centre), Hotel Chocolat Co-founder, with some of the MBA students at Cambridge
Limerick Competition As you can see, we’ve been having a go at writing limericks – but the last line seems to be evading us… So if you can come up with a witty last line for either, or both we’d be most obliged. The one that makes us laugh out loud the loudest will win a Sleekster Selection of your choice! There was Club member of long standing Whose appetites were most demanding But one day as feared Her chocolates disappeared…
There once was a Club member from York To his tasting box he would talk And although he’d confide It never replied…
Please email your entry to simon@hotelchocolat.co.uk or send it to Limerick Competition, The Chocolate Tasting Club, Mint House, Royston, SG8 5HL. 10
Welcome
Mr Bond All being well, by the time you read this you should already have received your invitation to apply for our Chocolate Bonds. And what a lot of interest they have caused, especially in the financial press. It started with a front-page article in the business section of the Sunday Times and then spread through the other newspapers with lots of activity online. Angus has been interviewed for several BBC radio programmes – the first on 5 Live followed by BBC Scotland (we did wonder if they were disappointed our Angus didn’t have a Scottish accent!).The following day he appeared on Simon Mayo’s Drive Time and the next on Radio 4’s You and Yours where Winifred Robinson had financial expert Justin Urquhart Stewart give his view on the matter which, not surprisingly, was basically,“It’s a good deal if you like chocolate…”.There was also an interview with Radio Cambridge and by the time he’d finished, we figured Angus had become a veritable Mr Bond. Angus welcomed the opportunity to spread the word about Chocolate Bonds, the Club and Hotel Chocolat further afield and was very pleased with the reception:
The positive reception to the concept of the Chocolate Bond is very encouraging. And what’s particularly interesting is that lots of the pundits tried to think of similar examples, but even they could only think of a few, all of which had significant differences to what we are doing.
Angus Thirlwell, Club Founder and the Chocolate Bonds Invitation Document
Of course true success is dependent upon the Chocolate Bond issue being taken up and, if you plan to do so, please remember you must have your application in by 12th July and that it should be sent to our appointed registrars: Neville Registrars Limited, Neville House, 18 Laurel Lane, Halesowen,West Midlands B63 3DA. If you have any questions about the Chocolate Bonds, there’s a Q&A section on pages 4-5 of the Invitation Document and you can always call us on 08444 721212 or send an email to Bonds@hotelchocolat.co.uk if you have any other queries. 11
This month’s Prize Draw winners Classic Selection prize draw winner is Mrs E Butterworth form Peterborough who wins a Hand Piped Sleekster Selection.
Next month’s prize is a Just Truffles Sleekster Selection – brimming truffles to die for!
Dark Selection prize draw winner is
Mrs J Gascogne from Wantage who wins a Dark on Dark Giant Slab. Next month’s prize is a Serious Dark Fix Sleekster Selection – full of favourite deep and dark recipes.
last chance for
Summer Desserts! A
s we all know, it’s almost impossible to predict what the British Summer has in store for us. But come rain or shine there’s one thing that’s sure to brighten up any day, Summer Desserts – whether you’re planning a lazy weekend in the garden, an alfresco barbeque or you’re having friends around for dinner. With 18 chocolates all inspired by gorgeous desserts, it’s perfect for a spot of summer nibbling and for wowing your guests – featuring the classically British Eton Mess and the epitome of French style, Crème Brûlée, to an American favourite, Key Lime Pie and possibly the most popular dessert of all time, Tiramisu. You might also notice that Summer Desserts has changed colour – from the striking yellow that was shown in Club News a couple of issues ago, to a more relaxing lilac.We had a lastminute change of heart on the design front, so we hope you like it!
Elements Selection
prize draw winner is Miss C Hefford from Jersey who wins a Caramelissimo Giant Slab.
Next month’s prize is an Eton Giant Slab – perfect for nibbling on a summer’s day.
If you haven’t ordered yours yet please hurry, as the deadline is almost upon us. You can reserve yours now for the members-only price of £18.00 (plus £4.95 post & packaging) at www.chocs.co.uk/ desserts or call 08444 933 933.
Don’t forget – you can score by post or online 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: Editor: Simon Thirlwell; Contributors: Simon Thirlwell, Terry Waters. © The Chocolate Tasting Club plc 2010