The Pod - Issue 8

N E W S & R E V I E W S ST R A IGH T F ROM T H E C ONC H

AU T H E N T IC • OR IG I N A L • E T H IC A L

I S S U E # 8

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THE SCHOOL OF CHOCOLATEClasses are now open at Cocoa Vaults, in deepest Covent Garden p8

EXCELLENCEDon’t you deserve the best?

£20.95 including p&p

The most admired chocolates from last year’s Tasting Club selections. Specially made for Tasting Club members.

Most Tasting Club members are automatically eligible for the Excellence Collection in October. Look out for more information coming soon.

hotelchocolat.com/tastingclub

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4 STRAIGHT FROM THE CONCH We did it! Angus Thirlwell celebrates the Tasting Club’s Ghana Appeal. Plus, our Top Picks to see and do this month.

5 GET FRESH The story of our ludicrously healthy and

yet utterly delicious chilled Hibiscus & Cocoa Shell drink.

6 FOOD & DRINK Warning: You will be unable to resist our incredible Dark Ganache Dipping Pots with Seasonal Fruits. Plus: The Citrus Salad chocolate.

7 LIVING IN A BOX Do you have the personality of one of our chocolates? If so, perhaps you’re not that sweet, ponders Iain Ball.

8 PAY ATTENTION Do you know your Trinitario from your Forastero? The School of Chocolate at Cocoa Vaults in Covent Garden is now open.

12 COCOA PLANET The latest happenings from the Tasting Club and the world of Hotel Chocolat, plus cocoa news from around the globe.

13 QUICK SNAPS You heard it here first: Tidbits and snippets to keep you informed.

14 THE CHOCOLATE TASTING CLUB Learn more about our Chocolate Tasting Club, with scores and comments from last month’s selections.

CONTACT US: Send your letters to The Chocolate Tasting Club, Mint House, Royston SG8 5HL, or simply email [email protected] or via our website hotelchocolat.com/tastingclub. For our US members please write to The Chocolate Tasting Club, PO Box 461, Montoursville, PA, 17754 website chocs.com

PRODUCTION: Editor: Iain Ball Assistant Editor: Alexandra Hare Senior Designer: Andy Linney Senior Designer: Louise Daniels Designer: Sarah Mckewan

CONTRIBUTORS: CEO Hotel Chocolat : Angus Thirlwell Managing Director CTC: Terry Waters Head of Marketing: Melissa Shackleton Marketing Manager: Gemma Hussey Head of Guest Relations Saint Lucia: Judy Buckley PR Manager: Megan Rober ts Head of Chocolat Development: Adam Geileskey

BETHANY NUNN

Resident Chocolatier for Cocoa Vaults

Bethany has worked as a chocolatier in Scotland and South Carolina, where she was also a yoga teacher.

“I have always loved art and enjoy painting in my spare time, though I have discovered my main passion through creating art which you can tangibly and physically enjoy.”

CLARE HADDAD

Concept Development Chocolatier

Claire worked as pastry chef in five-star hotels in London before becoming a chocolatier.

“My favourite? I love our creamy, less-sugar ‘supermilks’ – they have high-cocoa percentages like dark chocolate, but with milk.”

MATTHEW KEYS

Digital Marketing Manager and Geek

When he’s not immersed in his digital world and playing with our new website Matt is out playing

football, dragging people to after-work drinks and looking forward to his wedding in Phuket later this year.

CONTENTS

If you’re a true lover of chocolate, then you should really have a go at making it yourself. It’s an amazing experience, a lot of fun, and you end up with a bar of chocolate as unique as your own fingerprint (sticky, chocolate-covered versions of which will be left at the scene).

The hugely atmospheric Cocoa Vaults in Covent Garden is the place to try this and other amazing chocolate experiences – read all about it on page 8.

Enjoy the issue – and follow us online at hotelchocolat.com/thepod

FEATURES

EDITOR’S NOTE

With thanks to this month’s contributors:

Iain Ball, Editor

Don’t you deserve the best?

£20.95 including p&p

Most Tasting Club members are automatically eligible for the Excellence Collection in October. Look out for more information coming soon.

4 THE POD

ROOM WITH A VIEWSoak up the vibrant atmosphere of Borough Market on our new Rabot Terrace. The perfect spot to enjoy one of our summer iced drinks. First week of August. rabot1745.com

THE NANO SLAB GALLERYExperience this amazing collection of artwork from our ‘Nibble Period’: 9 nano slabs, from Dark Fruit and Nut to White and Caramel Cookie Crème. hotelchocolat.com

SUMMER IN SOUTHSIDEA free extravaganza of dance, stunts, acrobatics and circus performances, on the streets near the Birmingham Hippodrome. 24th-25th August. birminghamhippodrome.com

CHOCOLATE FASHIONISTASCome and see our latest chocolate creation at Salon du Chocolat. Enjoy live demonstrations, gourmet talks, tastings and the famous Chocolate Fashion Show! From 17-19th October, Olympia West, London salonduchocolat.co.uk TAKE TO THE SKIES

The Bristol International Balloon Fiesta is now in its 36th year and is Europe’s largest ballooning event. It’s spectacular, fun for the whole family and free! 7th-10th August. bristolballoonfiesta.co.uk

STRAIGHT FROM THE CONCH

TOP PICKS THINGS TO DO, PLACES TO GO, PEOPLE TO SEE

THANK YOU – FROM GHANAThe cocoa farmers of Osuben are finally getting their

medical centre – thanks to Tasting Club members

“One of the Club’s most inspirational achievements has been the Ghana Appeal, connecting chocolate lovers with cocoa farmers in Ghana.”

I’ve always been proud of our Chocolate Tasting Club, but without doubt one of its most inspirational achievements has been the Ghana Appeal, connecting chocolate lovers in the UK, Sweden, Norway and the United States with cocoa farmers in the Kwahu District of Eastern Ghana.

Thanks to the generosity and continuing dedication of our members, we’ve raised £45,000 – the grand target needed to complete the Osuben Medical Centre. We’ve even overtaken it, reaching £46,767 at the time of going to press – and that extra money will go into buying medical equipment.

It’s hard to explain just how important this will be for the people of the Osuben community, most of them cocoa-farming families. The nearest hospital is in Atibie, nearly 30 kilometres away. Good vehicles are scarce and local roads are rough; the trip is so long and uncomfortable that medical problems considered relatively minor in the UK can be fatal in Osuben.

Now the centre is nearly complete, but we’ll keep working to help the local community with everything from cocoa seedlings to training. Please read more about our work in Ghana on page 13. Any support you can give will be sincerely appreciated by the people of Osuben. – Angus Thirwell

5hotelchocolat.com/thepod

PROMS IN THE PARK 2014 On 13th September, thousands will flock to venues across the UK for the famous Last Night of the Proms. Each one will its own concert and a live link-up to the Royal Albert Hall for the traditional singalong. Book tickets at bbc.co.uk

SAINT LUCIA MEETS LEEDS Our fortnightly Dining Club at Roast+Conch brings the flavours of Saint Lucia to the heart of Leeds. Experience a fantastic set menu and delicious wines for £35. Visit three times and your fourth visit is FREE! hotelchocolat.com/diningclub

LINES TO LIVERPOOLTate Liverpool showcases the life and works of influential Dutch painter Piet Mondrian, who created his own distinctive and universally recognised style. 6th June-5th October tate.org.uk/liverpool

SOUL BROTHER Get on Up is a biopic of the Godfather of Soul James Brown, from impoverished child to legendary musician. In cinemas from August.getonupmovie.com

ON THE FRINGEThe Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the largest arts festival in the world and promises to leave audiences ‘unbored’, with 3193 productions from 47 countries, and 49,497 performances at 299 venues! 1st-25th August edfringe.com IM

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STRAIGHT FROM THE CONCH

GET FRESHDo not let summer pass you by without trying

our healthy Hibiscus & Cocoa Shell cooler

People visiting our cocoa bar-cafes and restaurants now say it’s their new favourite drink. How did we create a delicately sweet summer cocoa drink that is delicious, refreshing, but has close to zero calories?

“Hibiscus has a really nice fruity sweetness and acidity but it lacks a bit of depth,” says Alex Mackay, the creator of our Hibiscus & Cocoa Shell iced infusion drink. “So it makes a perfect partner for a cocoa shell infusion, which adds an extra complexity that is really refreshing.”

It’s made with a dash of orange juice, a half-moon slice of orange and just a teaspoon of agave syrup, a natural sweetener that’s very low in sucrose, making it an outrageously healthy summer drink, rich in antioxidants and with close to zero calories!

hotelchocolat.com/cafelocations

GINGER & COCOA SHELL

HIBISCUS & COCOA SHELL

PEPPERMINT & COCOA SHELL

EARL GREY & LEMON

JADE SWORD GREEN TEA

Fresh & healthy ICED DRINKS

Our summer iced infusion drinks are low in calories, rich in antioxidants and absolutely delicious

6 THE POD

FOOD & DRINK

Saint Lucia, Rabot Estate – Single Côte, Marcial, 70% DarkNot just Single Estate chocolate, this is ‘Single Côte’, possibly the first in the world. As this is from our own plantation, we can keep the cocoa separated as we pick and ferment it from each côte (terroir section). £7.50 hotelchocolat.com

Sparkling Pink RoséLight and lively sparkling rosé that won’t fail to uplift – with a fruity bouquet, and delicate, pleasantly aromatic flavour notes of almond. Ideal for celebrations of all kinds or simply to brighten up a rainy day! £19 hotelchocolat.com

DARK GANACHE DIPPING POTS WITH SEASONAL FRUITS

Difficulty: EasyTime: 20 minutes preparation; Serves: 6

Ingredients 200g / 7oz dark chocolate (broken into small pieces) Chocolatier’s suggestion: Rabot Estate Single Côte Marcial 70% Dark284ml double creamSeasonal fruits – fresh or dried

METHOD1. Place your broken chocolate into a bowl.2. Heat the cream in a saucepan over a medium heat, until it reaches

a gentle boil (you should see steam rising from the cream).3. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until the

chocolate melts.4. Keep stirring until the cream and chocolate combine into a glossy,

silky mix. This is your ganache!5. Pour the ganache into your chosen cup or bowl. Hint: I use a china

cup and saucer as it looks pretty and is a perfect portion size for two people…or one greedy person!

6. Slice your fruits and arrange on a large plate, then place your cup and saucer on the plate and get dipping! Hint: you can use cocktail sticks or fondue forks to dip. Personally, life’s too short...just dive in!

Kiri Kalenko shares her gloriously simple chocolate fondue recipe with us. Expert-tested and a guaranteed party favourite – it’s the perfect way to enjoy seasonal fruit.

FOR THE SHOPPING LIST...

Top tip: When choosing the fruit to dip into your ganache, try pairing the fruits with the flavour notes of the chocolate. For example, our Rabot Estate Single Côte Marcial has notes of Shiraz wine and spiced plums. This would work really well with dark and purple fruits, such as figs, blackberries and red grapes.

THE CHOCOLATIER’S TALE CITRUS SALAD

“I love it when my recipes spark a forgotten memory for someone; you get a privileged access to a part of their life they may never have told you about, simply due to the flavours they’ve experienced.

When Angus tasted this zingy lime and orange dark chocolate ganache, he was instantly reminded of the time he spent in Saint Lucia, creating the menu for our Boucan restaurant. He described the fresh, inspiring ingredients abundant in every dish, and picked out the Citrus Salad starter, which pairs local fruit with micro-green salad leaves, cashews, tomatoes, and a soothing chocolate dressing.

I can see why the similarity stuck out for him; the chocolate tastes tropical and invigorating, without too much sweetness. It’s appearing in your Tasting Club boxes this August, so keep an eye out for it!”

Kiri Kalenko

Citrus Salad featuring in D179 Tasting Club Selection

hotelchocolat.com/tasting club


“A Double Nut Praline sounds like a bright spark who can’t

make his mind up...”

We’re out weekend shopping. It’s been leisurely so far, but now Zoe is frowning at her watch. Nearly lunch. Time for what she calls ‘commando mode’.

In commando mode, the two of us split up and carry out individually assigned missions. Team Bravo (that’s me) will infiltrate the farmers’ market and stealthily target unsuspecting fruit and vegetables, while Alpha Team (Zoe) conducts a special op at the supermarket: Toothpaste, rubber gloves and bin liners with extreme prejudice.

It may not surprise you to hear that Zoe is the commanding officer.

“And don’t forget the chocolate,” she says. We’ll rendezvous at the church at thirteen hundred hours.

Orders given, she zooms off.

The phrase ‘the chocolate’ is Zoe shorthand for ‘a 70g bar of Rabot 1745 Saint Lucia Island Growers 100% Dark’, which has recently become her regular tipple. You could say that it’s now Zoe’s favourite Hotel Chocolat chocolate, but only in the same way that Great Whites prefer seals.

I finish off the fruit and veg and head to the local Hotel Chocolat, just a short stroll from the market. I’ve been considering the idea that you can tell a lot about a person’s character from the type of chocolates they like – a sort of chocolate Rorshach

test. After all, people look like their pets – do we all share something in common with our favourite chocolates as well?

I start to browse the shop, imagining who might eat, say, the Macho Gianduja. An intense, racy charmer who always breaks the rules? The Dark Peppermint Truffle: shy on the outside, a refreshing perspective hidden on the inside? And how about the Chilli Praline: someone a little hot-headed but always warm-hearted?

The Simple Milk Truffle would surely be a calm and uncomplicated soul. The Hazelnut Bûche: a suave, smooth-tongued seducer with a bit of a bite. Double Nut Praline sounds like a bright spark

who can’t make his mind up. Then there’s Dizzy Praline: a ditzy darling who gets everyone in a spin. And the Dark Champagne Truffle: an angel in a little black dress always giggling into her bubbly.

This is fun, but I’m not sure my thesis is convincing. I need more evidence before I can publish An Introduction to Chocoanalysis. Then my phone beeps.

A message from Zoe: “Team Bravo, report in!”

I pick up her bar of Island Growers 100% and read the description: “A bark worse than its excellent bite.”

Yep. Q.E.D.

LIVING BOX

in a

We’d love to hear your thoughts on The Pod and our products.Have your say at [email protected] or tweet us at @hotelchocolat

“Chocolate is the divine drink which builds up resistance and fights fatigue. A cup of this precious drink permits man to walk for a whole day without food.” Hernán Cortés, Spanish conquistador of the Aztec Empire (1519)

VOX CHOCSCOCOA SOUNDBITES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Do we share personality traits with our favourite chocolates? Iain Ball reports

Left: A couple on one of our Chocolate Tasting Adventures, Trinidad cocoa nibs, one of our

chocolatiers hand-tempering chocolate, a Bean-to-Bar

Experience at Cocoa Vaults

Cocoa Vaults

The first clue that something special happens below street level at our Cocoa Bar-Cafe at No. 4 Monmouth Street, right in the heart of London’s Covent Garden, is a mysterious rattle and whoosh.

It’s a boisterous rush of cocoa beans, freshly roasted and cracked in the roasting machine displayed in the upstairs window, tumbling raucously down a long shiny steel chute into the basement.

The only way to follow them is down a spiralling staircase, into an intimate and softly-lit space called Cocoa Vaults, with a look of beaten metal, rough wood, hessian sacks and hurricane lamps, evoking the romance of a Saint Lucian cocoa plantation.

Cocoa Vaults is home to Hotel Chocolat’s School of Chocolate. Here, the still-warm beans are collected by a chocolatier and the naked nibs poured into a silvery Cocoatown conch. Spinning at 42rpm, just a little slower than a 7-inch vinyl record, the conch crushes and rolls the beans for hours, even days, transforming them into glistening chocolate. It’s a hypnotic sight.

But that’s the modern method. At the School of Chocolat, they also teach you how to do it the old-fashioned way.

That’s what I’ve come for today – a Bean-to-Bar Experience, hosted by seasoned chocolatier Claire Haddad, in which I will learn how to make a bar of chocolate straight from the cocoa bean. It’s just one of many amazing experiences available at Cocoa Vaults, from Tasting Adventures to Children’s Chocolate Workshops and Corporate Networking Events.

Want to take your experience of chocolate to the next level? Come to Hotel Chocolat’s unique event

space in the heart of London.


THE SCHOOL OF CHOCOLATE AT

10 THE POD

SCHOOL OF CHOCOLATE AT COCOA VAULTS

Our journey from cocoa to chocolate begins with a sparkling glass of Prosecco and an introduction to what happens on Hotel Chocolat’s own cocoa plantation in Saint Lucia, Rabot Estate.

“Chocolate is made just from cocoa beans, some sugar and maybe a bit of milk,” says Claire. “It seems really simple but a lot of work goes into growing and making it, some of which you’ll soon see for yourself!”

Claire cracks the thin shell from the cocoa nib, rolling a freshly roasted Trinidad bean on her palm with her thumb. These pure Trinidad nibs are earthy, intense and slightly bitter, with a sensual, dark bass note that lingers on the tongue. Even the shells are full of flavour, and Hotel Chocolat uses leftover shells to make cocoa infusions like the Hibiscus & Cocoa Cooler and even Cocoa Beer.

Claire’s understanding of cocoa farming comes from experience. After all, in Saint Lucia, Hotel Chocolat plants cocoa seedlings, harvests pods and ferments the beans, working with local farmers in an ethical trading partnership.

Cocoa beans are very sensitive to the effect of the land it grows in, she explains, and acidic soil will give the cocoa a sharper taste. Even just covering cocoa beans with banana leaves may give the chocolate it makes a hint of banana flavour.

The class get their aprons on, getting to work crushing Trinidad cocoa nibs with mortars and pestles. Now, this is old-school chocolate-making. “This is the closest we can get to how the Aztecs made chocolate,” says Claire. The friction and pressure acts like a mini Cocoatown conching machine, separating the cocoa powder from the cocoa butter.

It’s surprisingly hard work.

“You can do it!” she urges, working on her own mortar. “And you’ll all leave with a bar of chocolate that you’ve made with your own hands.”

“This is why chocolatiers have a good right hook,” suggests a classmate.

But Claire’s right. Before long the crushed cocoa is becoming shiny, turning into a paste. Everyone around the table is comparing the state of their chocolate and getting surprisingly competitive.

To make sure we get a bar with a good shine and a crisp snap Claire helps us out with a dash of pre-tempered chocolate to help it set properly.

‘Tempering’ is heating and cooling the molten chocolate to ensure the cocoa butter forms the right kind of crystal structure. Without it, the chocolate will look dull and crumbly and lose its flavour.

The last step is pouring it into moulds, clattering them vigorously on the tabletop to get rid of any bubbles. Soon, we’ve all got our very own 50g bars of Trinidad 74% Milk chocolate, cast in Hotel Chocolat’s distinctive slab shape. The experience has taken just under two hours – but it’s flown by.

Before we leave, we’re given a goody bag and a 10% discount in store. But there’s something very special about chocolate that you’ve made from cocoa yourself with your own hand.

Claire tells us that we can expect the texture to be a little grainier than we’re used to, a bit closer to the old style of chocolate. But I don’t want to eat it, I just want to look at it.

Trust me, that feeling doesn’t last long.


From left: The table before the mess begins at Cocoa Vaults; Claire Haddad, senior chocolatier; fresh ganaches and batons; grinding cocoa nibs with a pestle and mortar; enjoying a Bean-to-Bar experience

at Cocoa Vaults with Claire; hand-decorated Easter eggs for a Children’s Chocolate Workshop

THE BEAN-TO-BAR EXPERIENCEDiscover how to make chocolate straight from the cocoa bean and take home a souvenir bar you’ve made yourself, all over a glass of prosecco. You’ll also get an exclusive discount along with a goody bag. £65

CHOCOLATE TASTING ADVENTURE Take the next step in your appreciation of chocolate with an expert-guided tasting session over a glass of our house prosecco. Over two hours you’ll discover all the inside info on chocolate and the flavournotes of cocoa from around the world. You’ll also get an exclusive discount and take home a goody bag. £45

CHILDREN’S CHOCOLATE WORKSHOP A really fun way for kids to learn all about cocoa and chocolate. In a one-hour session, we teach budding chocolatiers how to decorate their own chocolate masterpieces and make a beautiful package to put it in, and ensure they return home suitably messy! £15

CORPORATE AND BESPOKE EVENTS Cocoa Vaults makes an ideal venue for corporate gatherings and networking events. It is also available for private hire for bespoke events and parties. Find out more at hotelchocolat.com/cocoavaults

CHOOSE YOUR ADVENTURE

RESERVE YOUR PLACE NOWBRING A FRIEND FOR FREE This July or August, take a Chocolate Tasting Adventure or Bean-to-Bar Experience, and a friend can enjoy it with you for FREE. Book before the end of August to enjoy this 2-for-1 offer.

Just bring this issue of The Pod to the store or book online at hotelchocolat.com/cocoavaults and use the code CVPOD*

WIN A FREE PAIR OF TICKETS! Send an email to the [email protected] telling us why you’d love to visit Cocoa Vaults before 31st August. We’ll pick the 5 best answers and we’ll give the winners two FREE tickets for either a Tasting Adventure or Bean-to-Bar Experience!**

* Terms & Conditions: Buy 1 School of Chocolate event and get 1 free. Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Offer expires 31st August 2014. Valid for bookings in July and August 2014 only. ** No cash alternative. Offer valid only for a Tasting Adventure or Bean-to-Bar in Cocoa Vaults, subject to availability. Must be taken by 31st December 2014.

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Find us at: School of Chocolate at Cocoa Vaults 4 Monmouth Street, Covent Garden London, WC2H 9HB

12 THE POD

HONDURAS

NICARAGUA

COLOMBIA New Rabot 1745 Chocolate Grades – coming soon

Our world of rare and vintage cocoa will soon be getting even bigger, with the launch of four new chocolate grades showcasing some hitherto untouched South and Central American cocoa varieties.

We’ve created two new chocolate bars from local varieties in Northern Colombia – the Cienaga and the Aracatica beans – both from Sierra Nevada and filled with fantastic character.

From Honduras, we present the full-bodied and fruity Mayan Red 70% Dark from cocoa grown close to the famous Mayan Copán ruins.

And from Nicaragua, we have the Chuno 85% Dark – A complex, dark and mysterious cocoa, with a background of liquorice, bitter coffee and a smooth roasted note.

You can explore our Rabot 1745 range at hotelchocolat.com/rabot1745

DENMARK Location: Copenhagen

Our third Copenhagen store, opening mid-August

After the opening of our new airside boutique at the airport, we’re thrilled to announce that we’re opening a third Copenhagen store in the historical and cultural suburb of Frederiksberg.

The Frederiksberg Centre currently has 65 stores and is situated by the metro station, less than 10 minutes from Copenhagen city centre. You will find us on the ground floor just by the entrance. Frederiksberg Garden, with the beautiful neo-classical castle, is also close by.

“It’s a very sophisticated city and has a great reputation for food. We knew we’d have quite a bit to do to win over the locals, but we’re really pleased with the response and now have a good following there,” says Hotel Chocolat’s CEO Angus Thirwell.

Frederiksberg Centret, Butik 1092 Hotel Chocolat Falkoner Allé 21, 2000 Frederiksberg

Monday-Friday 10am-7pm, Saturday 10am-4pm. Also open the first and the last Sunday of every month from 11am- 4pm.

ALSO IN COPENHAGEN...

We’ll be teasing supermodel tastebuds in Denmark this summer

On the 5th September we have the privilege of celebrating the launch of the a new Mulberry collection, co-designed with the model and actress Cara Delevingne at their store on Østergade in Copenhagen. We’ll be busy sampling chocolates and handing out delicious goody bags!

COCOA PLANET NEWS FROM AROUND OUR WORLD

Above: The Frederiksberg Centre and Frederiksberg Park

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BOLD AND BALD

We’re thrilled at the achievement of sales advisor Annabelle

Stephenson in our Birmingham store, who shaved her head to raise over £2,700 for Save the Children. The now fetchingly bald Annabelle said she did it because she had “far too much hair for just one person”. She’s donated her hair to The Little

Princess Trust, to make into a wig for a child with cancer.

LOVING IT IN LIVERPOOL

The response to our Cocoa Bar-Cafe in Liverpool One has been fantastic, with

guests already picking their favourite tables and returning on a daily basis.

Our unique menu has proved extremely popular with locals, with our Caramel Hot Chocolate the top seller, teamed

with a freshly baked croissant with cocoa nib butter – come in and try it!

hotelchocolat.com/cafelocations

ARRIVED AT READING STATION

Train journeys from Reading Station just got much more exciting.

Leave a little extra time before your next departure to check our brand new boutique on the station

concourse – filled with your favourite treats and gifts.

GHANA Location: Kwahu District

Delivering Cocoa Seedlings to Young Farmers

Members of our Young Farmers Support Scheme in Ghana recently received deliveries of cocoa seedlings from us, arriving from our local nurseries by a truck bought with Tasting Club members’ donations.

We set up the annual Young Farmers scheme to help train and support aspiring young people who need a helping hand to overcome the huge start-up costs of entering the cocoa industry in Ghana.

Working with the Green Tropics Group, our local NGO partner, we also provide farmers with training, equipment and continuing technical support.

Below: All eleven beneficiaries of the YFSS have received cocoa seedlings

TARGET: £45,000

CURRENT:

£ 4 6 7 6 7,

JOIN OUR GHANA APPEAL How you can help: We still need equip the Osuben medical centre. We add 25p for every scorecard we receive from our Tasting Club members. If you’d like to donate, please send a cheque made payable to: The Cocoa Farmers’ Fund, and send it to: CTC Ghana Appeal, Freepost, ANG10659, Royston, SG8 5YD.

DENMARK

UK

USALocation: Copenhagen, selected UK sites and Boston

Join our Summer Cocoa Bar-Cafe Party

This August, we’re having an amazing summer evening event at our Cocoa Bar-Cafes across the UK and Boston and at our Roast+Conch restaurant in Leeds.

We’re making Thursday 21st August, 6-9pm a very special night out (and on Thursday 28th August at our Copenhagen cafe), with fabulous drinks, food and experiences, from tasting adventures to a specially discounted shopping spree.

Meet our expert chocolatiers and experience mini Tasting Adventures and live chocolate-making demonstrations, while you feast on delicious canapés served with a glass of Prosecco, two exotic and exclusive cocktails and a range of chilled cocoa drinks. And you’ll leave with an amazing goody bag!

PLUS: there’s a fabulous 20% OFF everything in store.

• Kensington

• Edinburgh John Lewis

• York John Lewis

• Edinburgh

• Liverpool

• Copenhagen

• Boston

• Roast + Conch, Leeds

GET YOUR TICKET!Summer party tickets are available to buy at your local Cocoa Bar-Cafe for £10.

Or you could WIN a free pair of tickets! Enter our Summer Party competition at hotelchocolat.com/competitions

It’s going to be fun – we hope you can join us!

14 THE POD

For those who don’t know, the Chocolate Tasting Club is at the heart of Hotel Chocolat’s talent for innovative and exceptional chocolates. Our ingenious chocolatiers make hundreds of delicious recipes, which are sent to our Tasting Club members to taste and evaluate before anyone else.

Here are the latest scores from our members on our recent selections. Members’ scores help us keep making better and better chocolate recipes and decide which of our new chocolates should go into our stores as ‘Selectors’ and in our boxed selections.

How the Chocolate Tasting Club works Every four weeks our members receive an new box of exciting chocolates created by Hotel Chocolat’s chocolatiers, and are free to let us know what they think of each recipe, either online or with a scorecard that comes with the menu.

We offer different ‘genres’ of chocolates that our chocolatiers work on, from all milk chocolate to all dark, the alcohol-free

Elements selections, the rare and vintage cocoa of our Rabot 1745 selection, and the Classic selection, with a little bit of everything. You can also opt to receive a new box every four weeks or less often if you like. We’re a flexible club, and members can swap selections whenever they want.

The advantages of membership There are lots of perks to being a Tasting Club member, not least enjoying a 5% discount on everything online and in our stores, cafes, restaurants and even our Boucan Hotel in Saint Lucia.

You’ll also have access to special collections exclusive to the Tasting Club, including the annual ‘best of the best’ Excellence Collection – and unique season specials.

Visit hotelchocolat.com/tastingclub to find out more.

PS – DON’T FORGET to reserve your Excellence Collection, available online at hotelchocolat.com/tastingclub

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CLASSIC SELECTION D174

No. Chocolate Name Chocolatier 10/10 Average

1 Eton Mess Olivier Nicod 34% 8.6

2 Triple Chocolate Rhona Macfadyen 30% 8.6

3 Cherry Bakewell Olivier Nicod 27% 8.5

4 Macho Milk Caramel Kiri Kalenko 26% 8.5

5 Espresso Martini Olivier Nicod 26% 8.3



2 Cocoa 70% Dark Kiri Kalenko 22% 8.6


4 Dark Salted Caramel Olivier Nicod 21% 8.1


TASTING CLUB REVIEWS

WHAT MEMBERS AR E SAYING WHAT MEMBERS AR E SAYING Eton Mess – “Summery and strawberry.” 9/10 Mr Jack Drever – Orkney

Triple Chocolate – “There ought to be an 11 for extra good! Crunch and salty almond – brilliant combination." 10/10 Ms Paulene Allett – Burton-On-Trent

Triple Chocolate – “Found that I needed to slice and taste each layer individually to appreciate the sum of the parts. Would buy more – so tasty and pretty!” 9/10 Sian – Horsham

Ecuador 70% Praline – “Whoever had this brilliant idea deserves a medal. This chocolate is gorgeous!” 10/10 Mrs Lynn Eaton – Doncaster

PRIZE DRAW

Our prize draw winner is Mrs S Mott from Thame who wins a Sleekster Everything,

PRIZE DRAW

Our prize draw winner is Mrs I Cars from Ascot who wins a Sleekster Dark selection.

DARK SELECTION K107

1 2 3


1 Myers Rum Rachel Smith 32% 9.0

2 Prince Polignac Cognac Olivier Nicod 31% 8.9

3 Amaretto & Frangelico Olivier Nicod 31% 8.8

4 Bourbon Truffle Rhona Macfadyen 30% 9.0

5 Cardhu Whisky Truffle Kiri Kalenko 30% 8.9

WHAT MEMBERS AR E SAYING Myers Rum – “Wow! Full of gorgeous rum, took me back to the Caribbean – an absolutely divine chocolate.” 10/10Nicola Sutton – Edinburgh

Prince Polignac Cognac – “Another winner for the ‘oblongs’ - is it the shape as well as the flavour?” 10/10 Mrs Pam Cusack – Henfield

FORTIFIED SELECTION F16*

PRIZE DRAW

Our prize draw winner is Mr M Gray from London who wins an Oysters & Champagne selection.

15

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Join the Tasting Club at hotelchocolat.com/join

1 12 23 3




3 Pistachio Caramel Jessica Howe 19% 8.4


5 Monkey Shoulder Whisky Truffle

Rhona Macfadyen 16% 7.5


1 Passion Fruit & Caramel Felicity Plimmer 29% 8.5



4 Pistachio Caramel Jessica Howe 19% 8.4


Score online or by post and you’ ll automatically be entered into a Prize Draw to winsome Hotel Chocolat goodies. We’ ll also be donating 25p to our Ghana Appeal for

every scorecard we receive, so you’ ll be helping to build the Osuben Medical Centre.

WHAT MEMBERS AR E SAYING WHAT MEMBERS AR E SAYING Espresso Martini – “Didn’t taste much coffee though.” 9/10Miss Katy Wright – Barrow-In-Furness

Monkey Shoulder Whisky Truffle – “Lovely.” 10/10 Miss Katy Wright – Barrow-In-Furness

Passion Fruit & Caramel – “Beautifully zingy white chocolate and lovely caramel chocolate. Not entirely sure the white zingy and caramel go together, however individually stunning.” 9.5/10Mrs Katie Williamson – Scunthorpe

Pistachio Caramel – “Moreish."9/10Miss Ann Morley – Cheltenham

PRIZE DRAW

Our prize draw winner is Mrs J Holbrook from South Ockendon who wins a Milk Adventure Peepster.

PRIZE DRAW

Our prize draw winner is Mrs M Cantor from Mitcham wins a Cookies & Crème Caramel Slab.

ALL MILK SELECTION M29* ELEMENTS SELECTION S85

WHAT MEMBERS AR E SAYING We haven’t received enough scores this month for the Rabot 1745 selection to be statistically valid. But members’ comments below are representative.

Overall – “I loved this month’s box. There was a nice variety of bars and I thought this month’s ganaches all to be of exceptional quality and taste. ” 10/10 Liz Simmons

RABOT 1745 SELECTION P39*

PRIZE DRAW

Our prize draw winner is Mrs J Forster Davidson from Royston wins a selection of bars from Peru.

1 2 3

No. Chocolate Name Chocolatier

1 Peru 75% Milk & Red Wine Rhona Macfadyen

2 Java 74% Milk Kiri Kalenko

3 Peru Pichanaki 75% Chilli & Marcona Almond Bûche

Kiri Kalenko

4 Ecuador 82% Dark Gianduja Bûche Olivier Nicod

5 Trinidad 75% Dark & Red Wine Rhona Macfadyen

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AWARDS SEASONFind out for yourself why our restaurants are winning fans worldwide

Rated in Top 1% of London Restaurants by TripAdvisor

97% of diners recommend on Open Table

Winner of Dinner’s Choice Awards for Best Food, Best Service and Best Overall

“I recommend their Lobster poached eggs – just divine, and so was their prosecco.

A fantastic experience enhanced by brilliant staff.”

LONDON Rabot 1745

TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence Award Winner 2014

“The best, and certainly the most interesting, hotel restaurant on the island.

It's also one of the few where you can get a well-made cocktail.”

– Condé Nast Traveller

SAINT LUCIA Boucan

Leeds ‘Most Booked’ restaurant on Open Table

Yorkshire’s second most popular restaurant

92% of diners recommend

“The lamb was delicious, and the Chocolate Lava pudding to die for. Just as you would

expect from Hotel Chocolat.”

LEEDS Roast+Conch

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The Pod - Issue 8

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