Sea Salted Caramel Bar - Paul A Young

An early raid on Easter chocolates was usurped by a bar of Sea Salted Caramel from Paul. A. Young. Phew...that was a close one!

For those of you who are new to the world of chocolate, Paul.A.Young, is a confectionary wizard when it comes to making fine chocolates with fresh ingredients. You can find PAY stores in Wardour Street, Camden Passage, The Royal Exchange and Heals. His empire is certainly expanding! I recently discovered that you can buy some of his chocolates online at Craved. 

You can find such flavours

including Sourdough; Chilli and that old favourite you either love it or hate it, marmite. Not surprisingly this rather edgy marmite bar is on offer at £3.50 reduced from £5.90.

Paul and his team of apprentice wizards, that's certainly an apprenticeship to end all apprenticeships if they offer such things, make all their chocolate delights without the use of complicated tempering machinery preferring the coolness of marble to facilitate the magical process.

As you would expect, the chocolate, a 64% Madagascan dark chocolate, is delicious,  delivering a woody and fruity almost zesty aroma.
 

50g - Sea Salted Caramel Bar

The soft caramel has been sandwiched in between two pieces of chocolate which have been cleverly glued back together. Maldon sea salt has been combined with the sweet caramel to provide a little astringency;  very subtle. This particular bar won Gold at the International Chocolate Awards European Semi-Final. You can now learn how to make this bar by joining one of his workshops,  but hurry as these events are selling out fast.

Little effort or for that matter expense has been made in regards to packaging. A simple piece of fairly thick clear plastic held together with two labels and a purple bow. Paul makes it clear he wants his chocolate to do all the talking. Substance over style. 

Nowadays caramel and sea salt is probably the most popular flavour in the world and can now be found in absolutely anything. I enjoyed this bar which is really well balanced but to be honest I prefer a plain bar rather than the squidgy mix.

Sea Salted Caramel Pecan Brownie

A few days ago I unexpectedly came across Paul A Young's chocolate shop in Wardour Street and discovered a chocolate emporium that made even the stylish Hotel Chocolat look brassy and almost slightly down at heel.  Which is not true as they've been spending a lot of money on their shops recently. There are now a total of three shops in his growing chocolate empire, including Camden Passage, Royal Exchange and Wardour Street, and I found this particular shop to be his best so far. 

Obviously, the colour purple covers nearly every surface and provides a striking backdrop to the chocolates which are arranged in the centre of the shop on a superb dining table.  As the picture shows the chocolates are not covered which some people may find off putting. However, I think this method of presentation shows them off at their best. I may be wrong but I couldn't see any prices which is probably a good thing!  
Chocolate bars and brownies are situated around the edge of the room. With my retail hat on Paul's team were very professional, approachable and were obviously enthused by the products they were selling. 

Mast chocolates bars from New York were also on sale at a staggering £9.00 a bar!  Unfortunately, having not won the lottery that weekend I had to partake of more simple fair and opted for a good old chocolate brownie at £3.75! We could have stayed for hours oohing and cooing at the rows and rows of different chocolates but sometimes you just have to get out before your credit card goes into melt down!

I opted for the Sea Salted Carmel Pecan Brownie which is a hunky piece of chocolate and certainly not for the feint hearted. The brownie itself contains a variety of delicious ingredients including, cocoa solids 70%, organic golden caster sugar, free range eggs, golden syrup, plain flour, unsalted French butter, Maldon sea salt, caramel, milk chocolate and pecans.

This brownie should be shared as it is just too much for one person! The brownie is made up of three distinct layers, a topping of pecans, a thin layer of what I'd call cake and a base of pure chocolate ganache. I'm certainly not a brownie connoisseur and therefore I'm not sure what the exact proportions should be for the perfect brownie. However, the salt and crunchy pecans work perfectly with the dark chocolate to produce what can only be described as an unctuous confection. My only criticism would be that there wasn't enough 'cake' which meant the base was a ever so slightly wet.  I would be interested to know what others think about this.  

Overall this was deliciously moreish and irresistible, 9/10!  

Not So Much SOHO but more SOWOW!

A trip to SOHO can only mean one thing, cant it?  Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more! Can I interest you in some nice photos or perhaps you'd like to see the real thing?  Well, shock horror, I'm sorry to disappoint but Cake is the new Sex!  Agent Provocateur and Anne Summers give up the bondage, throw away your handcuffs and start baking cakes otherwise your days on the High Street might be numbered!  

Cake, chocolate, pizza and bread in all their foodie glory have taken Wardour Street by storm.  Apparently, if you're suffering from alcoholism, depression or perhaps been made redundant then starting a baking business or just making a cupcake will set you on the road to recovery. Having only an hour to explore Wardour Street here are just some of the gems that I will be returning to in the not too distant future. 

Only £25! Go on she's worth it!

Of course chocolate is top of the agenda and Paul Young's corner shop was enchanting and filled from top to bottom with delicious chocolate, including some amazing Valentine's Day gifts.  Staff are friendly and fun and nothing, was too much trouble. Several packets of chocolate brownie were whisked away and I'll be reviewing his Sea Salted Caramel Pecan Brownie soon. 

You can pick up some handmade artisan bread from Gail's just across the road if you fancy.  Tempting, soft delicate flakey pastries sit wantonly in the window.  Gail's has been around for a long time and I can remember meeting Gail when she first started making her bread for contract caterers and we all thought she was way ahead of her time.  Well I think it's the same Gail.  Unfortunately, I didn't have time to stop and ask but I'll be going back to try some of their delights!  If you're lucky to live in Battersea or Notting Hill you can pop into Gail's for breakfast and enjoy a crusty roll and a full English!

Of course I couldn't walk down Wardour Street without calling into Princi to see how things had changed since I was there a year ago. Well, I'm happy to report that things have improved on what was already a great place to eat. The restaurant was packed and I was whipped into a frenzy by the sheer volume of food and standard of the offerings. 

There were a number of small changes such as new marketing and the new table layout that allowed more lucky people to enjoy their delicacies. 

As there was nowhere to sit we picked up three pizzas including, Spinach Crescenza and Potato Speck. To finish with a sugar rush we went for Linzer Torte and Chocolate Doughnuts that ooze chocolate sauce all over your chin as they slowly burst! Londoners, you don't know how lucky you are, blessed with all these exciting foods. Total bill £21.30 for three.

Staff are amazing as they cope with the flood of customers. While you wait to be served enjoy a chomp on some free samples atop the counter.  

Thank god I don't work in this street!

Day Trip to London

The journey from hell lay ahead but this did not deter us as we knew what the prize was at the other end.  Chocolate!  Network Rail or whatever they're called kindly and thoughtfully laid on several obstacles for our journey to Vinopolis earlier today.  But the epic journey to London was well worth the aggravation and extreme hardship that we had to endure.  Ok, so we had to get on a train, on a coach, on a tube and then we had to walk!  I almost died! 


London was looking it's best under glorious sunshine and blue sky.  The big surprise was not the chocolate show but Borough Market.  On previous visits we'd missed this spectacle and what a feast of autumnal colours and delicacies were set before us.

Borough Market it was packed to the rafters with masses of people just moving about admiring, tasting and photographing everything.  In fact I almost could not believe that I was in an English market. Brilliant!

Rabot Estate Broken Slabs

A brief saunter around the Rabot Estate shop was too much for my wallet and I had to make my escape to Chocolate Unwrapped.  The bags (on the left) in the picture were £9.00 a go!  So, I settled for a chocolate mousse shot at £2.00 which I shared of course.  A tasty snack but lacked finish which was a bit disappointing.


Onwards to Chocolate Unwrapped at Vinopolis!  There seemed to be more vendors there this year including several new ones which was good to see.  These were just some of the companies that we saw and sampled: Paul A Young; Duffy; Akesson's from Sweden; Paul Wayne Gregory; Pacari; Ecuador ChocoFest; Chococo; Chocolate and Love; The Chocolate Lover's Wine; chocoMe from Hungary; Rococo and so many more!  After two hours we'd had our full of chocolate and these are just some of the bars we purchased.

If you have time tomorrow this is well worth a visit and great experience for novices as you can taste as much chocolate as you like! There is also a program of talks and demonstrations throughout the day.

Adventures with Chocolate - Paul A Young

Fortunately, I've managed to stay away from the Boxing Day sales and having cooked enough food to feed the population of Chelmsford. I thought I'd take time out from cooking and eating to sample one of my many books I received this Christmas. 

Top of my list has to be Paul Young's, Adventures with Chocolate. The book is beautifully presented with lots of shiny close ups of chocolate in all its forms. The introduction gives us a great insight as to how chocolate has shaped his life and the subsequent decisions he's made. Paris certainly seems to have had a big influence especially in terms of his creative side and developing new flavours. For those of you of you who are new to chocolate or perhaps fancy making some exotic truffles this book is ideal as it provides you with the basics. Simple points such as buying the correct type of chocolate, how to taste chocolate and identify different chocolates all help to provide a good grounding for the novice.


Making ganache and tempering chocolate correctly are all covered using simple, easy to understand language that we can all understand. Once you've mastered the art of making your own chocolates Paul takes us into the world of  flavours which for me is the hardest part of making the perfect truffle. It takes a lot of practice combining different percentages of each flavour to achieve the best results. So don't expect your first attempt at flavouring to be a push over!


The book includes 80 fantastic recipes including such delights as, "Chocolate-drenched cocoa-nib cookies" and "Venezuelan Chocolate Pancakes with Chocolate Maple Syrup" to name just two. 


Overall Paul's enthusiasm for chocolate shines through this book and the recipes do not look too complicated. However, obtaining some of the ingredients such as ancho chilli may be a bit taxing! To be fair there are a list of suppliers at the back of the book to help you in your quest. The Home Chocolate Factory is an ideal place to start if you're serious about making chocolate.


I for one will certainly be trying some of his recipes over the next few months...I'll let you know how they turn out.


To buy this book click here!

Autumn Bar - by Paul Young

Ok, check calendar, look outside check trees for leaves, check angle of setting sun, temperature check warmish? Yes, it is still officially Autumn until 23rd December!  Phew! We're okay to talk about this bar we don't want any problems with trading standards who might be responsible for seasons! I do talk some rubbish sometimes..oh well.


Paul Young is a chocolatier/patissiere from the North of England to be more precise from a small mining town in Yorkshire. Having attended catering college Paul worked his way through some of Yorkshire's finest culinary abodes before Marco Pierre White, no less, grabbed him and scurried off with him to The Criterion Brasserie where he was Pastry Chef. From the very demanding Marco, Paul moved onto Quo Vadis in Soho. From here he did stints at Marks and Spencer and Sainsburys working on development projects. In 2006 Paul was invited to be an honorary member of the Academy of Chocolate. 

Paul Young Royal Exchange

Paul opened his first shop in April 2006 in Camden Passage and now has another shop in Royal Exchange right in the heart of the City of London. 


I passed by his shop in Royal Exchange on the way home from Chocolate Unwrapped and snapped a picture of the shop front and nearly applied for the position of chocolate underling (that's not the wording on the ad, ok) which was advertised in the window!

The Packaging: As with William Curley's bar packaging is kept simple and informative. Clear cellophane has been used to wrap the bar stuck down with a couple of labels and Paul Young logo on the front. This bar is so understated which is surprising considering how flamboyant his creations are. 

The Chocolate: Paul spent a bit of time talking to me about this bar and how he likes to keep things seasonal which is fast becoming the trend in the top restaurants. Some chefs will not even feature a tomato on their menu for nine months of the year unless it is in season. I might try that at home...maybe not.

Ok, this bar has a 70% cocoa content, cocoa butter, sugar, cocoa beans and four spices including cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and cedar wood oil. I'm not sure where this chocolate has been sourced but Paul uses Venezuelan, Madagascan and Dominican Republic cocoa beans. For me the cardamom dominates and is the main aroma I get when opening up the bar. I can certainly taste the cinnamon and the cardamom but not the ginger. The cedar wood oil comes through as well but my taste buds are sending a myriad of signals to my brain which is confused at the best of times. However, cocoa finish is excellent and the bar is beautifully tempered. But, wait what is this, oh no it's a hole on the surface of the chocolate. Guys, c'mon sort these holes out, please!


I enjoyed this bar but again it is pricey at £3.50 for 50g of chocolate but then we know why we're paying for this. Overall I give this bar 8/10 for flavour and 7/10 for presentation and innovation for ingredients used.


I can't see this bar on his website but if you want to view his range of bars and other creations click here - Paul A Young