Issue 132
News The monthly newsletter from the Tasting Club
Win a Whole Year of Free Tasting How would you like to win a whole year of FREE tasting boxes? And what’s more, you don’t need to do anything at all. See page 15 for full details
Six of The Best
For Everyone! Thankfully our version of Six of the Best is a pleasure not a punishment, featuring six of the greatest Club chocolates of all time. find out more on page 5
Summer Desserts definitely left us feeling warm and sunny.
Review of 2010 Tasting test ?
Like a tasting box dangerously left unattended, this year seems to have vanished very quickly. And this, the Tasting Club’s 11th year, has been a busy one too. So, we thought it was high time that we cast a wistful eye over the last 12 months that saw the introduction of a brand new selection, the Club going overseas, a new truck for Ghana, a new design for us and the chocolates weren’t half bad either!
Elementary my dear D132 R38 K65 S43 021358
What better way to kick off proceedings than with the brand new tasting selection that appeared early in the year? Following a members’ survey, it became clear that the Solid Chocolate Selection wasn’t quite fulfilling members’ requirements. And so, in true chocolate democracy style, Elements was born – continued on page 8...
There’s a brand new taste test to help new members determine which selection would suit them best. The even better news is that you’ll be able to try it too, for free. See page 6
W Letter from the
Editor
elcome to your latest edition of Club News and this month you’ll see that we’ve had a good long look over the highlights from the past year. Top of the list for me must be our visit to Ghana at the end of September, even though it was my fifth trip to the Osuben Basin, there’s always something new to discover there. If I were to be allowed a second highlight, then it might just have to be this year’s Fortified 5-Star Collection – it really blew my socks off in more ways than one. Of course, everyone will have their own particular highlights to look back on and if you’d like to let me know yours, then I’d love to hear from you at the address below.
“
We’ve invented the world’s first flat Easter egg especially for Club members…
”
Elsewhere in this edition, you’ll find we’ve invented the world’s first flat Easter egg especially for Club members. Well, not quite, but you’ll see what I mean on page 12. And finally, there’s a reminder of the fantastic Prize Draw that will take place at the end of January on page 15 – not one to miss if you fancy getting all of next year’s tasting boxes for free. Until next month, happy tasting! Don’t miss our delicious twist for Valentines Day – last orders on page 4.
Simon Thirlwell Club News 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!
2
Improve your chocolate knowledge
CARAMEL
Editor C
aramel is simply sugar, dissolved into a liquid and then heated until the sugar crystals rearrange themselves into a thick amber liquid. Whisk in some cream and /or butter and you’ve then created a gorgeous liquid caramel. Cook it a bit longer and you’ll create ever more solid caramel, ranging from chewy to brittle.
And because it’s the ‘burning’ of the sugar that gives caramel its flavours, the longer the cooking time, the deeper the flavours. The Club’s liquid caramel recipe, however, achieves a very fluid texture with its deep caramel flavours accentuated by a traditional a pinch of salt.
This month’s Prize Draw
Winners
D129 Classic Selection
prize draw winner is Laura Williams from Nottingham who wins a warming Winter Cocktails Selection.
Next month’s prize is a classic Truffles Sleekster Selection.
K62 Dark Selection
prize draw winner is Mr D Parker from Devizes who wins a Peepster Dark Adventure of slabs.
Next month’s prize is a Fruit & Nut Dark Giant Slab.
S40 Elements
prize draw winner is Elka Truchan from London who wins a Rocky Road Giant Slab.
All Fair in Love and Chocolate? – Don’t miss the His and Hers Collection
I
s all fair in love and chocolate? Well, there’s only one way to find out – with the exciting His and Hers Collection, ready for release just in time for Valentine’s Day. Featuring 36 of the Club’s highscoring chocolates split equally between so-called ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ recipes – but will he like hers, will she prefer his, or will each stick to their own? Thankfully there’s two of everything, including scorecards, so finding out who likes what is sure to be lots of fun! There’ll be only one special making of the His and Hers Collection, timed to coincide with the season of love – so please reserve yours now at the special members’ price of £22.95 (£18 + £4.95 p&p). Reserve online at www.chocs.co.uk/HISHERS or call us on 08444 72 70 70
Next month’s prize is a Le Grand Crunch Milk Giant Slab.
Don’t forget – score by post or online at www.chocs.co.uk 4
and you’ll be automatically entered into the prize draw
Introducing
Six of the best COLLECTION
An elite collection of nothing but the champions of champions – the top 6 all-time favourite chocolates from a decade of tasting. Brace yourself for Six of the Best – it doesn’t get better than this.
www.chocs.co.uk/SIXOFTHEBEST
5
Taste test? WILL YOU PASS THE
We’ve often thought about how members go about choosing which monthly selection to have – after all, it is an extremely important decision to make!
A
nd it’s not an easy one either, especially as there will soon be another choice in the mix with the launch of a Purist Selection (see opposite).Thankfully, it’s easy to switch and try other selections, just to make sure you’ve chosen the right one. But what if there was a more scientific way to ensure you made the right choice? Well, we think that our brand new Taste Test will do just that. It’s all part of the new Introductory Selection that we’re busy putting together.The idea is that there will be only one Introductory Selection – so no more Classic, Dark and Elements introductory boxes – and the scores that members give each chocolate will tell them what their preferences are therefore which selection they should have.
6
As well as a wide choice of filled chocolates in the new Introductory Selection, there’ll also be an array of 10 batons, in a spectrum of colours from light milk to deep and dark. So you’ll get to start off with the ultra mellow flavours of Caramel Batons, then onto the slightly deeper notes of Praline Batons, finishing off the mellowness with 40% Milk Batons. After that there’s a special blend of 65% Saint Lucia Dark to give a taste of fine Trinitario cocoa, before finishing off with a powerful 85% Dark with a big, no-nonsense cocoa hit. We’re planning to include this baton Taste Test as a free addition to a forthcoming monthly selection – we’ll let you know which one nearer the time.
are you a Purist? If you’re au fait with Hotel Chocolat’s range of chocolates, then the chances are that you know all about the Purist range.
I
t’s devoted to the rare and vintage cocoa that makes up only about 5% of the world’s output. Every bean of these rare strains of cocoa is sought after for individual flavours and aromas and each one has a story to tell, with unique flavours influenced by its terroir – location, soil, sun, tropical downpours and its treatment after harvesting. Unlocking that story is what Purist is all about. Club Founder, Angus Thirlwell, told us,“Be it the renowned Chuao bean from Venezuela, our own Rabot Estate Trinitario or the beans from our Island Grower partners in Saint Lucia – our aim is to make access to the vivid flavours of rare and vintage chocolate more open.We don’t believe premium chocolate
should be elitist and so we want to give access to as many chocolate lovers as possible.” Which is why there will soon be a brand new monthly tasting selection devoted to the Purist. It will explore single estate and single origin chocolates in simple recipes, with no soft centres. In short, it will be a selection for those who want to explore the characterful nature of chocolates made with rare cocoa together with ultra premium ingredients – from Piedmont hazelnuts and zesty pieces of candied orange, to Sicilian pistachios. We’re planning to have everything ready to launch this coming spring. In the meantime, we’ll bring you all the latest developments right here – so stay tuned!
7
continued from page 1
“
Review of 2010
2011 is already shaping up to be another cracker, with more brand new chocolates to taste, plans for exciting special editions and more progress in our programmes in Ghana. We look forward to sharing them all with you in the coming 12 months!
”
featuring filled recipes, solid chocolate and all without alcohol as per members’ wishes. Almost a year on we’re delighted to say that it has gone from strength to strength and has become an important member of the family.
brightened up everyone’s day because every single chocolate, all 18 of them, scored well over the 8 mark.
Scandinavian Adventure
In May, London’s Borough Market got a real taste of the West Indies when the Rabot Estate store opened. It’s a unique shop and café that brings the look, feel and flavours of our Saint Lucian cocoa plantation to the heart of London – including truly authentic cocoa tea, that hasn’t been tasted here since Samuel Pepys’ time.
Speaking of families, there have been quite a few additions to ours over the last 12 months. After a successful launch in Germany, the Club set off northwards and in the spring we were bringing chocolate comfort to our cousins in Sweden, Norway and Denmark. And as if that weren’t enough, we’ve most recently said a big ‘howdy’ to tasters in the USA too.
The name’s Bond, Chocolate Bond One the biggest events of the year was the successful launch of our Chocolate Bond – a unique approach to raising funds for our future plans that allows us to pay the returns to our members and not to big banks.We knew that we had loyal and passionate members and we were delighted to be proven right when the Chocolate Bond issue raised £3.7 million – we hope you bond holders are enjoying your chocolate returns! And it was a good year for special editions too, with the return of the infamous Fortified Collection for an amazing fifth year and a couple of brand new selections too.The first was the No.1 Collection that celebrated a whole decade of champions and which, unsurprisingly, was an unqualified success.The second was Summer Desserts that clearly
Rabot Estate comes to London
Have truck, will travel And finally, during our trip to Ghana in September we saw one the year’s biggest stories in action for ourselves, the truck – bought earlier this year with the help of members’ generous donations. We were delighted to see that, from the word go, the truck has lived up to all expectations. Many more farmers will now have access to new seedlings to expand and improve their farms. In particular, we were heartened to meet on our trip to Ghana this year two farmers who have both had over 1,000 seedlings delivered this season. Before the arrival of the truck their farms were inaccessible. We were even more delighted to hear that the arrival of the truck has had some unexpected consequences too – because the truck has been lent out to help in communal projects, like road repair, there has been a huge upsurge in communal spirit in Osuben Village.
What a year it’s been!
Clockwise from top left – The Club goes to Norway; Rabot Estate comes to London; and Hotel Chocolat arrives in Boston; Chocolate Bonds make a successful debut; Terry takes the Club stateside; Elements is introduced to members; Ghana gets a truck; and Terry causes mayhem in Osuben with chocolate.
9
scores
Classic 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
Smooth Operator by O Coppeneur & G Bernardini 8.44 (32% scored it 10/10) Shortbread Crunch by O Nicod 8.40 (24% scored it 10/10) Cherry Bakewell by K Kalenko 8.34 (31% scored it 10/10) Butterscotch Mousse by E Desmet 8.29 (32% scored it 10/10) Cherry & Raspberry by O Coppeneur & G Bernardini 8.20 (39% scored it 10/10) Liquorice Liquid Caramel by R Macfadyen 8.17 (26% scored it 10/10) Praline Melt Tasting Batons 8.15 (19% scored it 10/10) Espresso Coffee by O Nicod 8.12 (28% scored it 10/10) Double Nut by G Pereira 8.07 (27% scored it 10/10) Vanilla Velvet by K Kalenko 8.06 (26% scored it 10/10) Ginger Light by M Meier 8.05 (24% scored it 10/10) Metaxa Mayhem by R Macfadyen 8.05 (25% scored it 10/10) Smooth Operator Light Blend Milk Tasting Batons 7.96 (21% scored it 10/10) Jersey Black Beauty by V Wilderspin & E Desmet 7.92 (25% scored it 10/10) Oats & Raisins by K Kalenko 7.90 (24% scored 10/10)
Dark 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
Selection – D129
Selection – K62
Cherry Bakewell by K Kalenko 8.68 (32% scored it 10/10) Cherry & Raspberry by O Coppeneur & G Bernardini 8.62 (33% scored it 10/10) Metaxa Mayhem by R Macfadyen 8.55 (32% scored it 10/10) Jersey Black Beauty by V Wilderspin & E Desmet 8.55 (31% scored it 10/10) Espresso Coffee by O Nicod 8.52 (26% scored it 10/10) Smooth Operator by O Coppeneur & G Bernardini 8.38 (25% scored it 10/10) Vanilla Velvet by K Kalenko 8.36 (26% scored it 10/10) Rainforest Blend Tasting Batons 8.33 (25% scored it 10/10) Ginger Light by M Meier 8.22 (24% scored it 10/10) Double Nut by G Pereira 8.20 (23% scored it 10/10) Shortbread Crunch by O Nicod 8.18 (16% scored it 10/10) Dark Cherry Tasting Batons 8.13 (17% scored it 10/10) Oats & Raisins by K Kalenko 7.98 (11% scored 10/10) Cherry Bakewell Liquorice Liquid Caramel by R Macfadyen 7.97 (20% scored it 10/10) Butterscotch Mousse by E Desmet 7.88 (13% scored it 10/10)
Elements 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 10
– S40
Choc Nut Sundae 8.49 (29% scored it 10/10) Double Nut by G Pereira 8.19 (33% scored it 10/10) Shortbread Crunch by O Nicod 8.17 (26% scored it 10/10) Espresso Coffee by O Nicod 8.13 (22% scored it 10/10) Praline Melt Tasting Batons 8.03 (20% scored it 10/10) Light Blend Milk Chocolate 7.98 (17% scored it 10/10) Butterscotch Mousse by E Desmet 7.95 (20% scored it 10/10) Oats & Raisins by K Kalenko 7.92 (17% scored 10/10) Liquorice Liquid Caramel by R Macfadyen 7.43 (15% scored it 10/10) Rainforest Blend Dark Tasting Batons 7.12 (9% scored it 10/10)
Choc Nut Sundae
feedback
What You Say! Bouquet Oats & Raisins – Classic “Have we discovered the perfect breakfast? Would make a great change from porridge...” Valerie Reilly, Johnstone
Bouquet Double Nut – Classic “Having to give my other one away was a fairly miserable experience...” Emma Mawdsley, Bristol
Brickbat Jersey Black Beauty – Classic “Black butter is an acquired taste and we just haven’t acquired it.” Michael Goodman, Isle of Man
Bouquet Cherry Bakewell – Classic “So good wouldn’t let my other half try the second one.” Elizabeth Oldfield, Liverpool
Bouquet Metaxa Mayhem – Dark “Good rich and warm. Just the job for a winter’s evening.” Sean Conlin, Walderton
Brickbat Liquorice Liquid Chocolate – Elements “Yuk – barely palatable from my point of view so my husband actually had to finish mine! Unheard of!”
Rachael Green, Suffolk
Bouquet Shortbread Crunch – Dark “I’m trying to find someone to give me a box of these for Christmas, (husband, if you’re reading this!)”
June Summerfield, Ipswich
Bouquet Liquorice Liquid Caramel – Elements “I’m from a Nordic country, and love salt liquorice. Not too sure about it in chocolate, but this one was amazing.”
Collection comments…
A first class box with loads of high scoring chocs. So many wonderful cherry recipes too. I hope the Dark Excellence is as good, because this is a tough box to follow.
Jane Wright, London I must mark this box much lower than usual due to the Cherry Overkill. Did the Club get a cheap deal on buying cherries in bulk?
Lynn Eaton, Doncaster I know I was brought up to share, but it’s so difficult when the chocolates from the club arrive. Most of the time I hide them!
Julie Butler, Exmouth A really good selection. I loved the mixture of fruit alongside praline, toffee and delicious alcoholic hits. The award for the most amazing chocolate though is reserved for the liquorice liquid caramel. My idea of heaven! Thank you.
Catherine Bennett, Wiltshire Excellent chocs. Swiss friends say they are exceptional. Praise indeed!
Moira Morley, online This has definitely been the best box we’ve had so far – and that’s in spite of the weird liquorice one! My husband asked for seconds of many of these chocs, but he wasn’t getting his grubby fingers on mine.
Lila MacMahon, London
Annette Horsbol, Southampton 11
preview
The Easter Egg
Box Selection
For those who like their Easter eggs to be a little flatter!
If you’re one of those members who can’t order the Club’s Easter Collection because it won’t fit through your letterbox, then help is at hand! Yes, we’ve invented the flat Easter Egg… well almost. At the very least it’s a flatter alternative that has been specially designed to slip though the average letterbox – perfect for those who won’t be around to receive their Club Easter Collection and therefore must rely on their letterboxes for delivery.
Available for the membersonly price of £21.95 (£18 + £3.95 p&p) – order now at www.chocs.co.uk/EASTER or call 08444 72 70 70
12
The Easter Egg Box Sleekster is a cracking collection of 30 filled mini eggs created especially for passing around and sharing this Easter – with melt-away pralines, silky smooth ganaches with blueberry, amaretto and mouth warming whisky, strawberry, liquid caramel and more. And all beautifully finished with splashes of all-natural colour.
The Easter Egg Box Sleekster
updates
Can’t wait
for the Summer?
WHAT ON EARTH IS
Black Pod
disease?
Cocoa trees aren’t the hardiest tree in the world… in fact, they’re susceptible to a fairly large assortment of diseases and pests – with Black Pod being one of the more common.
I
t’s a fungal infection that afflicts cocoa pods during the rainy season, turning them, well, black. Needless to say, the pods that are affected are useless and must be discarded. During our last trip to Ghana we saw more black pods than usual hanging from trees because, as we found out, this year’s rainy season has been particularly wet – making ideal conditions for Black Pod to thrive. However, there is a way to combat the disease and the good news is we’ve been doing it for years. It is to plant new seedlings, because the seedlings we grow and distribute are the newest strain that has been specially developed by the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana to be Black Pod resistant. So whenever we see black pods on trees, we know that it must be an old Tetteh Quarshie strain of cocoa, the first cocoa that came to Ghana, named after the person who brought it.
The chances are that as you’re reading this, the weather outside may be leaving a lot to be desired. But that hasn’t stopped Club members from dreaming of the summer and more specifically of Summer Desserts.
T
hank you to everyone who took the time to help us out with our Summer Desserts survey.The results made for extremely sunny reading, with 95% of respondents telling us that they thought the chocolates in this year Summer Desserts Collection were either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’. It’s probably not surprising then that 90% said they would ‘definitely’ or ‘maybe’ take the next edition of Summer Desserts. And for next summer’s special edition, we already have three front-runners for inclusion, all chosen by our survey takers – Raspberry Ripple, Rhubarb Fool and Coffee & Hazelnut Ice. We can’t wait! In the meantime, congratulations to our three respondents chosen at random, who all win an Excellence for Christmas Collection: Mary Tweedale from Antrim Carol Anne Lilley from Wrexham Yvonne Booth from Camberley 13
and finally
Introducing
HOTEL CHOCOLAT
Tote Bags
Next time you drop into a Hotel Chocolat store, you could well be leaving with something more than gorgeous chocolate goodies. That’s because Hotel Chocolat has created a rather smart looking Tote Bag to help carry your shopping. Inspired by the rugged sacks used to transport raw cocoa beans, it’s made from lined hessian and printed with the Hotel Chocolat logo. And for something a little more exclusive, there’s also a Rabot Estate Tote Bag – available at the Rabot Estate Store at London’s Borough Market. www.rabotestate.com
The Hotel Chocolat Tote Bag is available for £5 in-store and online at www.hotelchocolat.co.uk
Saint Lucia update If you were a member this time last year, you might remember that Hotel Chocolat sent a rather special Christmas present over to Saint Lucia. And it was just what Rabot Estate Director, Phil Buckley, has always wanted… …an all-terrain Unimog vehicle. It has quickly become an essential piece of kit on Rabot Estate, giving access to previously inaccessible parts of the plantation for all sorts of jobs. And now, just as our new truck in Ghana has been used for communal projects, so the Unimog and other pieces of Rabot Estate equipment have been roped in to help clear up after Hurricane Tomas. And can you believe that snow has also affected work in Saint Lucia? Snow in the UK that is, that has delayed shipments to the island! The Unimog at work on Rabot Estate and is now helping with an island-wide clean up.
14
update
Member’s
prize draw
Win Free Chocolate Tasting for a Year! How would you like to receive FREE tasting boxes for a whole year? Well, this is your chance because at the end of January we’ll be entering all of our current members into a Prize Draw. How do you enter?
What can you win?
Well, that’s the easy part and it really couldn’t be simpler – you don’t need to do anything. Just carry on enjoying your tasting selections, as all active members on 31st January 2011 will be automatically entered.The draw will take place in February and the results will be announced at the end of that month.
We’ll choose 10 winners in total and they’ll all win their current frequency of monthly boxes, as of 31st January. For example, if you are taking every other selection, then you’ll win 7 boxes. On the other hand, if you are taking every monthly selection, then your prize will be 13 boxes. So, if you were thinking of upgrading to more frequent deliveries, now might be a great time to do it!
Good luck everyone!
Will you be one of our 10 lucky winners? 15
2011 at a glance January Six of the Best Collection March 2011
Easter Collections April 2011
His & Hers Collection February 2011
Fortified 6 Collection September 2011
Purist Selection April 2011
Chocolate Cook Book September 2011
Member’s Choice June 2011
Summer Desserts Collection July 2011 Excellence Collection October 2011 Fortified for Xmas December 2011
Christmas Collections December 2011
Chocolate Mystery Collection November 2011 Excellence remade for Xmas December 2011
December
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. Š The Chocolate Tasting Club plc 2010