| Best of British... Chocolate shops |
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| Written by Ellie Pratt, 2006 | |
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The Swiss and Americans may heap scorn on our chocolate confections, but there are plenty of specialist shops in Britain whose mouth-watering wares will prove them wrong. Ellie Pratt goes in search of her Top 10. Throughout its long history, which goes back to the ‘chocolatl’ enjoyed by the ancient Maya and Aztec civilisations in Central America, chocolate has been much prized, whether as a cocoa, a chocolate beverage or confectionery treat. Is it any wonder that we drooled over the seductive descriptions of chocolate in Joanne Harris’s book Chocolat, in which succumbing to temptation was the theme? Roald Dahl sent four horrible, greedy children to meet a sticky end in his hugely popular Charlie and the Chocolate Factory… and it was all because of chocolate.  Some aficionados claim that chocolate is a gourmet food in the same league as fine red wine and truffles – and in the hands of the master chocolatier, it is. Not only does fine chocolate come in a variety of distinctive flavours, aromas and character, but it is, generally speaking, a far purer, healthier product. A single square of Guanaja Noir (made by French manufacturer Valrhona, near Lyons), for example, contains 70 per cent cocoa solids, but only a tenth of the sugar of the typical so-called chocolate bar.Today there are even sculptors who work exclusively in chocolate, creating tableaux of amazing complexity for special occasions – a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, for instance, destined to be devoured at a society children’s birthday party! Here are the details of some chocolatiers in the UK where you will find mouth-watering confectionery to indulge even the strongest chocolate cravings. 1. Choccywoccydoodah24 Duke Street, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 1AGTel: 01273 329 462 www.choccywoccydoodah.com Choccywoccydoodah’s simple shop front could easily be missed, but behind the closed doors is a fun and frivolous cavern, tightly packed with stacks of spectacular Belgian chocolate creations made by skilled British designers. Their extraordinary, decadent, bespoke chocolate cakes (below) have made Choccywoccydoodah famous – the McCartneys, Madonna and Bob Geldof are among its clientele. It’s even made some of the chocolate props for the latest Charlie and the Chocolate Factory film. 2. William Curley10 Paved Court, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1LZTel: 020 8332 3002 www.williamcurley.co.uk William Curley is a British pâtissier-chocolatier to rival any in Europe. Recently opened, Curley’s shop has been ten years in the planning, inspired by the finest patisseries in France and Japan. His signature dish is the pretty and utterly delicious mille feuille of chocolate. Try also his renowned ‘financiers’, his feather-light savarin of raspberries and fresh truffles. 3. Kennedys Fine Chocolates The Old School, Orton, Penrith, Cumbria CA10 3RUTel: 01539 624 781 www.kennedys-chocolates.co.uk Set in the picturesque Cumbrian village of Orton, Kennedys has been making its delicious range of Belgian chocolates since 1991. Visitors can browse the chocolate and gift shop, watch the skilled chocolatiers at work or devour mouth-watering homemade cakes and puddings in the coffee shop. Try the chocolate cake served slightly warm with vanilla ice cream! 4. L’Artisan du Chocolat89 Lower Sloane Street, London SW1 W8VATel: 020 7824 8365 www.artisanduchocolat.com According to chef Rick Stein, London-based L’Artisan du Chocolat is the best chocolate shop in the UK and the liquid salted caramels are to die for. And he’s not the only fan. Chef and chocolatier Gerard Coleman and business consultant Anne Weyns’s handcrafted luxury chocolates have won them the Best Producer award from Observer Food Monthly. Browse their shop, or if you’ve a spare £35, join a sit-down chocolate tasting session. Feed your chocolate habit alongside detailed interactive explanations of how chocolate got from trees to boxes. 5. Montezuma’s15 Duke Street, Brighton,East Sussex BN1 1AH Tel: 01273 324 979 www.montezumas.co.uk Once you smell the chocolate, it’s impossible to walk out without indulging in some of the samples on offer at fashionably organic Montezuma’s in Brighton (right). All of its chocolates are made by hand at its Sussex HQ, using carefully sourced unusual ingredients, herbs and spices. Its bestseller – dark chocolate with chilli – comes from the Emperor range, a selection of chocolate with a mysteriously spicy twist that also includes white chocolate with black, white and pink peppercorns, and milk chocolate with strawberry and paprika. Look out for dark chocolate-coated Grand Marnier-soaked apricots, dark chocolate Kirsch cherries and dark chocolate-coated Madeira prunes. 6. The Welsh Chocolate FarmLlanboidy, Carmarthenshire, Wales SA34 0EXTel: 01994 448 800 www.welshchocolatefarm.com Smell, taste, drink, see, touch and absorb all the flavours of multi-award-winning handmade Welsh chocolate by Pemberton’s (right). Based around a chocolate ‘village’ – Llansiocled – visitors can immerse themselves in this unique chocolate lovers’ paradise. Take in a film at the Chocolate Cinema, join a workshop or relax at the Cocoa Bean Café; whatever you do, don’t forget to try the chocolate-dipped Welsh cakes. 7. Arran Chocolate FactoryInvercloy, Brodick, ArranTel: 01770 302 873 Visitors to the Isle of Arran in southern Scotland can follow the Isle of Arran Taste Trail, which includes the opportunity to visit Arran Chocolate Factory and Shop. High-quality products are made using no less than 54 per cent cocoa solids. There are lashings of mouthwatering handmade truffles and fudges, and chocolates with a range of fillings to drool over – how about champagne and ginger, mandarin marzipan or passion-fruit crème? Or perhaps milk chocolate spiced with lemon zest? 8. The Little Chocolate Shop3A Herriot Court, Leyburn Business Park, Leyburn,Wensleydale, North Yorkshire DL8 5QA Tel: 01969 625 288 www.thelittlechocolateshop.co.uk Watching Claire Gardiner and her team as they handcraft traditional Belgian chocolates in a ‘factory’ no bigger than a tiny tea-room, you will be tempted! The Little Chocolate Shop is a hive of activity where visitors can watch and learn all about the fascinating world of chocolate with an emphasis on chocolate science. After a tour, you can buy delicious treats and gifts from the shop – the amaretto squares, brandy barrels and rum fish are particularly more-ish.
Glasgow and Edinburgh |
9. Kshocolat – The Chocolate Deli
