Chocolate. Have we bitten off more than we can chew?

Season ticket purchased ready for January's commute to London and discovered that costs have increased by just a fraction under 5% which was a bonus, as I thought it was going to be nearer 10%.  Life is full of little surprises!  As was the strap line from the Daily Express (13.12.2011) that I came across recently. 


Apparently we'll be paying "£7 for a chocolate bar" in the not too distant future, according to Julie Carpenter of the Daily Express. To quote Julie Carpenter, there is already a huge shortage of cocoa somewhere in the region of a million tons.  Potentially this chocolate calamity is only eight years away.  The rising Asian market is one of the main contributory factors, according to Angus Kennedy, a leading confectionery expert, a steady demand for Western products is increasing and subsequently prices are climbing.  Startlingly the Chinese only have to eat one more bar of chocolate each per year and there will be a shortage.  What about America, where there has been an increased awareness and demand for  'quality' chocolate. A growing range of small Chocolatiers including the likes of Potomac are helping to spread the word in America.



According to some industry experts we might end up with less 'cocoa' and more inclusions such as nuts. But, isn't this already happening?  You just have to look at the products that are coming from Austrian chocolate maker, Zotter. His "double-scooped" bars are already extremely popular, certainly not main stream, but perhaps in the future we're all be trying to make these?


Cocoa production, as many of you will know, is extremely difficult. Cocoa trees are very sensitive to temperature, humidity and also prone to disease which has proved fatal in the past. This makes the cocoa plant almost impossible to farm on a mechanised, industrial scale.  According to Angus Kennedy farmers do not know how to get the best yields from their crops or store it once it has been harvested. 


However, companies like Mars have been working towards more sustainable cocoa production methods to maintain the all important supply chain.  The Rainforest Alliance organisation recently reported that they had teamed up with Olam International Ltd to produce the world's first Climate Friendly cocoa. They are also looking to keep production as the main focus whilst reducing deforestation and improving the livelihoods of their farmers and families.


Only a few months ago an International ban was imposed on importing cocoa from the Ivory Coast.  At the time, everybody was worried that Easter Eggs would be missing from supermarket shelves. Allegedly 433,000 tonnes of cocoa sat rotting in Ivory Coast warehouses? Cadbury's actually stated that production wasn't affected as they bought their crop from neighbouring Ghana. The Cote D'Ivoire is not the only source of cocoa others include Indonesia, Ghana, Nigeria and Brazil. 

Some analysts believe Chocolate is 'recession proof' as many of us will reward ourselves with a small glass of wine or a bar of chocolate.  This year it was reported that amongst the final panic purchases on Christmas Eve chocolate was up there with perfume and lingerie. Haven't these always been the traditional male 'default' purchases at this time of year?  Interestingly, Thorntons has been suffering a downturn in business during the recent turmoil and we're less likely to see them on the high street as they move away from traditional shops to superstore shelves and a greater online presence.  I for one am not convinced that this is a good long-term strategy. Have you seen how many brands there are on supermarket shelves?  Thorntons produce some good chocolate and I've always found their chocolate blocks to be good value and at the same time very innovative.  


So, why are they suffering?  Perhaps, they're just not a la mode unlike Hotel Chocolat who are snapping up new retail locations, upgrading stores and showing a 25% surge in profits this year.  You only have to visit Rabot Estate in Borough Market to see some of the prices people are willing to pay. At the recent 'Chocolate Week' held at Vinopolis one company from Hungary was charging £6.00 for a 100g bar and this did't seem to be affecting their sales. Interestingly, Hotel Chocolat now have 40 different products on sale at discounted prices some as much as 50%! 


Companies like Melt, Chococo, Paul A Young, Duffy, continue to do well and perhaps Angus Kennedy is right when he states that demand for premium chocolate will not be affected but it will be the staple KitKat and Dairy Milk products that may see a change in fortunes. 


If overall business confidence continues to falter then the already saturated chocolate market will begin to choke and splutter with more casualties on the way. Perhaps it's not supply that is the problem but the fact that there are just too many players in the market and we'll see more merges throughout 2012. 


Just remember to savour that next KitKat a bit longer and enjoy each nibble! 


Posted by Richard.

Cloudy Lemonade

Holiday is well and truly over! Back to blogging after a few weeks off...lack of WI-FI is my excuse. Well, it only seems like a few days ago that Mr Murdoch was front page news, as his wife literally flew to his rescue saving him from being splattered with a foam 'custard pie'. How things change and how quickly, even catching our holidaying Prime Minister and London Mayor napping. No sooner had they donned their 'kiss me quick' hats and felt the first rays of continental sunshine then they found themselves being whisked away on the next third or fourth available flight home. Not only have there been air-traffic controller strikes in Germany but apparently they've had them in Canada as well. That's a lie. Whilst I'm no master of crowd control I believe the British police should purchase a few 'water cannons' from the French as soon as possible. They, the French, certainly know how to quell an unruly crowd. 


Police were certainly out in numbers today and I for one found it very disconcerting to see smoke rising high into the early morning dawn just miles from the Olympic stadium. I can't even begin to imagine how terrified people in those areas must have felt. Remove Police, cut support services and job opportunities, equals civil unrest. Scratch the surface of UK society and it bleeds surprisingly quickly. Even with all the awful events that have been occurring there are signs that the British 'stiff upper lip' is alive and kicking. Quoted from the London Evening Standard, "Mrs Yang, a diner at the Ledbury, having been mugged of both her wedding and engagement rings considered finishing the rest of her tasting menu but decided the overturned tables and broken glass not conducive to a nice dining environment". Priceless!

We're Popping!

Ok, lets talk about mundane things like chocolate. According to Thorntons summer has most definitely arrived and many of us will probably be drinking gallons of home-made cloudy lemonade. So, why not make a chocolate bar which champions great British flavours. White chocolate from Dominican Republic loaded with lemon oil and popping candy for a twist.

Cloudy Lemonade

The Chocolate: The lemon oil aroma is strong and images of lemon cheesecake instantly spring to mind. Considering sugar is top of the ingredient list the chocolate is not very sweet and the popping candy is a great addition as it rebounds off your fillings (if you have any) like electric static. I would suggest that it needs a touch more lemon to help cut through the slightly cloying white chocolate. However, overall I think this is a good attempt at making a 'fun' piece of confectionery. A score of 6/10 for imagination is reasonable and priced at 3 bars for £5.00 is money well spent.

To buy online click here...


Posted by Richard

Dark Chocolate with Wild Blueberry and Raspberry



No Golden Eagles!

Holiday has started and of course the weather which has been fine for days, brilliant sunshine no less, suddenly changes to torrential rain. The rest of the week is not looking too great either. Well, I for one don't really care as you can see we are in the Highlands, to be exact, Loch Lomand and The Trossachs National Park. No Loch Ness monsters, Golden Eagles or wild men in kilts have been spotted just yet but there are still a few more days to go. Have seen a Roe deer - fortunately I spotted this first, as a large chunk of cash was put down as a prize for the first sighting. The mountain views are fantastic, all slightly tinted with a hint of grey, and roads are made for 4x4's only, so will be selling car at end of holiday. I just read that a recent visitor lost their shock absorbers in the first mile. The windy, upperty and downy roads make you think that you're in a Subaru on the final stage of a rally. Well you're not, so throttle back! Having read about the shock absorbers I will keep my speed down. I can understand why Scottish people stuck out in the wilds might complain about fuel costs as their average fuel consumption must suck! Well we're off to see some wild man toss his caber! Traditionally tossing the caber originated from when logs were used to get across chasms. That might come in useful when I'm walking the hills later today.

Antioxi Choc Berry Boost! - Having just walked nearly 10 miles (it feels like 50!) today I feel that I should eat the whole of this bar as apparently it provides a healthy boost for both body and mind. This bar has been made from ACTICOA, a chocolate created to preserve more of the natural antioxidant flavanols that cocoa beans normally lose when they're made into chocolate. Antioxidants neutralise free radicals in the body. According to Thorntons just two scrumptious squares a day will help you feel great. They also go on to say that, "we recommend that you maintain a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle."

Give yourself a cocoa boost!

The Chocolate: The dark chocolate has a 63% cocoa content and there is certainly a delicious fruity berry aroma coming from the cocoa. The raspberries must be part of the natural flavourings as I can't see them anywhere on the list of ingredients. There are plenty of soft squishy blueblerries within the bar but they don't really add very much to the overall flavour. Mellow blueberries provide added texture but not a lot else in my opinion.

Chocolate dark, fruity and for once not sweet. Well, everybody has given this the thumbs up so, 6/10 is not a bad score. I purchased this bar and two others for £5.00. To buy online by click here.

Milk Chocolate with Banana

Well it's all been happening this week. The world has finally gone bonkers....well to be exact the News of the World has gone bonkers allegedly hacking into anything electrical that might give them an advantage over the competition. The UK's favourite red top has folded, no pun intended, gone from the news stands for ever. Should I rush out and buy the last edition? I imagine a new paper will rise, like the Phoenix from the ashes in a few days or so and we'll all be reading News of the Universe. My grand parents were avid readers of the paper and I can remember as a youngster spending many hours and hours trawling through all those outrageous headlines trying to understand who had run off with who and more importantly why.


Not only have the news papers gone banana's but it also seems that Thorntons has possibly lost the plot bringing out a milk chocolate block with banana.

Thorntons Go Bananas

This bar has some great credentials using both Fairtrade and Organic certified products. The dried organic and Fairtrade bananas originate from Ecuador providing and to quote, "a fruity flavour which perfectly complements the hint of spice in the organic milk chocolate." It's also good to know that Thorntons are investing in the farming communities.

The Chocolate: A 37% milk chocolate which melts quickly releasing sweet chocolate and hints of banana, for my liking it is a little too sickly. Each chunk contains a good amount of banana which gives the chocolate a rather strange chewy mouth feel. The chocolate itself does have some caramel coming through but the spice is masked by the amount of sugar used.


Overall not a bad try and a score of 5/10 is probably generous but Thorntons have tried to be a bit creative with this one.  The organic and Fairtrade credentials have my vote and that's probably the only reason I would buy it again. I purchased 3 bars for £5.00 which is good value for money in these harsh times. To buy online click here.


If you like banana in your chocolate read about Perky Nana, from New Zealand, by Chocolate Reviews.

Tribute to Thorntons

I expect many chocolate lovers will be aware that Thorntons are to close 120 stores across the UK over the next three years as shoppers move to the internet for their favourite snack. Whilst this seems harsh I for one think this makes good business sense especially as rents are at a premium according to the press. I can't imagine what it must cost to rent a space on UK stations where 000's pass through every hour of the day. Just over a year ago Mike Davies, Chief Executive of Thorntons, shrugged off declining sales, stating that the number of stores remaining open would depend on the flexibility of their landlords. How right he was. 

How long will it be before other chocolate retailers follow suit? Selling through the internet and supermarkets also makes good sense. Apparently, Thorntons is going to save several million pounds by reducing central and supply chain costs.

Once the news broke that Thorntons was in trouble I was amazed at the venom that was focused on the company especially by the wife of Commons Speak John Bercow. It was reported in the Evening Standard today that, "Sally Bercow claimed Thorntons, which is closing 120 shops, were a "yuck tasting rip-off" - adding she preferred Hotel Chocolat. Well, Sally also went on to lambaste several other British retails. Surely Sally Bercow should be supporting a great British product? Isn't she aware that Thorntons is Britain's biggest confectioner. What message is this sending out to the workforce of Thorntons and the general public.

It is very easy to sit in positions of power and make sweeping statements especially when circumstances change! Thorntons may not be the best chocolate producer in the country but it serves a purpose and provides a great service in many different countries, not just the UK. It provides and promotes Organic and Fairtrade chocolate. Is Sally actually saying that these organisations are also "yuck"? Sally Bercow is not doing the British chocolate industry any favours with her comments.

Hotel Chocolat provides a great service but it's not perfect. I've tasted product from their stores that fails to make the mark especially in terms of taste and price. Has Sally actually tasted any chocolate from Thorntons? I very much doubt it. We're not all on salaries that allow us to shop at Hotel Chocolat every week! That's what retail is all about providing a product at the right price that satisfies a demand, speak to Alan Sugar about that if you're in any doubt.

Thorntons is not a bad company and they don't produce "yuck" product. They may have overstretched themselves and I hope under the stewardship of Jonathan Hart, ex Caffe Nero, things will change. Good luck with the restructure and long live Thorntons in whatever format as long as it keeps people in jobs! Shame on you Bercow.

Dark Chocolate French 70%

I met a Frenchman a few days ago and we were discussing the wonders of chocolate and why some countries like certain types, for example the majority of British people enjoy sweet milk chocolate with little cocoa content having been weened on Mars bars and Curley Wirlies. He said, with great authority that the French do not like strong chocolate, that is for the kitchen, for the patisserie, croissants and other delights. Apparently the French like their everyday chocolate to be of a low cocoa content, as low as 60%. Sacre bleu! Thorntons state the French like their chocolate strong! Ok, I only spoke to one Frenchman but he seemed to be speaking for the whole nation.

In the Pink!

Unlike their colourful packaging Thorntons is finding trading difficult. Some of you may have read in the papers that Thorntons blamed their poor trading on the hot weather. Obviously, they were caught out and the ice cream freezers were still in storage. Perhaps they should invest in some ice cream hawkers? Apparently 'own store' sales declined by 13.9% to £31.4 million. That's still an impressive amount of chocolate to be selling in such difficult trading conditions. To read more on their trading position click here. Overall their sales increased by 2.9% on a 'like for like' basis. Also interesting to read that they closed 12 stores but did not open any new ones. A sign that things are not that rosy in the chocolate industry?

The Chocolate: Ok, enough about financial woes lets talk about this little hunk of chocolate. According to Thorntons this bar of chocolate has an intense cocoa flavour and is slightly bitter that contrasts with the fruity floral bouquet. I don't believe I've ever been disappointed by the presentation of a Thorntons chocolate bar. Whoever runs their production line should have a pat on the back. The aroma is full of that fruity floral bouquet with hints of blackcurrant and wood. Shut your eyes, breath deeply and think tobacco. Even though this is a 70% chocolate it is not overpowering or bitter in fact it has a touch of sweetness about it that I was not really expecting. What annoys me about Thorntons is that they do not tell you anything about where their chocolate comes from. They talk about everything else but not this?


Overall a fairly middle of the road dark chocolate which is not as intense as they say and for this reason I'm awarding a score of 6/10. This block cost me £1.89 for 90g. You can buy it for £1.20 on line with a Best Before Date of April 2011?

Thorntons - Milk Chocolate with Fudge

Sun, an exciting Grand Prix, the second in a row, and the London Marathon all in one day! What more can you ask for? Oh, yes I forgot to mention that we have Blue Tits in the nest box which is a fantastic result. My dad has a Blue Tits nest with 10 eggs in it. How does he know? Well, he has the box linked up to a TV and is watching the birds version of Big Brother. Oh, back to the Grand Prix. How many times did Martin Brundle say, 'beautifully' throughout the race? Martin you have three weeks until the next race to find some other adjectives or you're on mute!


So, to finish off a great weekend I'm going to review the last of my Thorntons stash. Milk chocolate with fudge pieces. This is the spiel that marketing guys from Thorntons have put on the back of this block. So, to quote, "Years of expertise told us that the caramel flavours in soft fudge would perfectly complement the honey-sweet notes found in the creamy Papua New Guinea milk chocolate. So we put them together, and discovered a deeply satisfying new combination". Sounds promising...

As usual the packaging is good and unsurprisingly a 'fudge' colour has been used to link colour and content. This block is suitable for vegetarians, it's also alcohol free and a gluten free recipe has been used. Plus there are no artificial colours or flavours used in the production of this block. Fantastic! It was all going so well.

The Chocolate: The chocolate is from Papua New Guinea and has a 35% cocoa content. Once the pouch has been opened the first aroma is sweet fudge and not much else. The chocolate is creamy and very enjoyable until your taste buds find the fudge. Why do they bother mixing good and bad ingredients it's a real let down. The fudge is dotted about the bar in little dollops. I have no problem with the quantity, it is the quality of this fudge which lets this bar down. It is very sweet and there is an after taste which lingers for sometime and ruins the taste. 


Thorntons you've fudged this one and you'd have done better by leaving out the fudge. The chocolate is great and overall not bad for a snack but it only scrapes a score of 4/10. I purchased this bar and two others for £5.00. So, value for money, yes, flavour no. If you click on the Thorntons website they have a very pleasant 'dawn chorus' going on.


Enjoy the week ahead!

Milk Chocolate - Venezuela 38%

Sadly my eldest son became Chelmsford's latest victim of crime this week hence my lack of blogging. Fortunately, he only suffered minor injuries and is back to his normal bubbly, happy self. Essex Police and my neighbours were brilliant! It just goes to show how vulnerable we all are to attack and I wonder if incidents like this will increase as rising unemployment takes hold? Lets hope the pending cuts to Police services will not impact their ability to protect the community. Ok, enough of the doom and gloom. Let's enjoy some delicious chocolate and soak up that sunshine!


Today we're tasting some more chocolate from Thorntons. Unfortunately, I cannot resist their bright packaging and I just have to buy them, especially as they are such good value for money. Three bars for £5.00 is not to be sniffed at! This particular bar won Bronze for Best Milk Chocolate Bar at the Academy of Chocolate awards in 2009. So we're off to a good start with this bar already. According to the blurb on the back of this bar, "Our award winning Grand Cru Venezuela milk chocolate is made from the finest Criollo cocoa beans".

The Chocolate: According to Thorntons only 5% of the world's chocolate is made from Criollo cocoa beans. I thought it was even less than 5%? Thorntons have an excellent and varied range of blocks available. That allows novice chocoholics, especially those on a budget, to try different chocolates from around the world. Venezuela for producing high quality chocolate and famous Chocolatiers such Willy Harcourt Cooze even have their own cocoa plantations in this country.

This particular bar is bright, shiny and has a good snap! The aroma is a mixture of cocoa and a hint of wood or is that vanilla? I find these aromas difficult to single out sometimes. The milk chocolate melts quickly giving off honey tastes. The texture is silky smooth and the chocolate melts beautifully over your tongue. The cocoa is definitely there but it is a bit subtle and makes the finish seem short. I like my chocolate to have some power behind it but I imagine it will suit a lot of peoples tastes. There are no artificial flavours or colours in this block which is always good to know.


There is nothing wrong with this bar apart from it being a touch sweet for my liking but it is well worth the money and for that reason I award a score of 7/10. I purchased three blocks (70g each) for £5.00. To buy online click here.

White Chocolate Belgian

White Chocolate Belgian - What a very strange name lets hope the chocolate tastes better than the title suggests! The marketing team must have been on an away day when they pulled that one out of the hat! Actually I've probably read this incorrectly and it should just be referred to as White which is bit more appealing.


The bar is described as a, "smooth and creamy continental style white chocolate". According to the ingredients this chocolate has no artificial colours or artificial flavours and is a unique blend of the finest ingredients with no added vegetable fats - just 100% cocoa butter. This is a little bit misleading as there are other ingredients including sugar which is at the top of the list. 
As many of you will know the more cocoa butter the better the quality of the chocolate. So, it looks like we could be in for a treat. Even though I've mocked the marketing department at Thorntons I do like their overall design for their block range.

The Chocolate: The write up on the back of the package describes the chocolate as being wonderfully balanced in terms of flavour, with ever-so-subtle hints of natural vanilla. Apparently the word 'Vainilla' is a Spanish word meaning 'little pod'. My only criticism is that there is no information on the white chocolate apart from the fact that it is from Belgian.

The first impression as you discard the silver wrapping is that this chocolate is devoid of all aroma. However, after a little more inhaling, a waxy aroma emanates from the block. Initially it smells a bit like Icoa from El Rey but when you take a piece in your mouth this idea is quickly thrown out! It certainly is a lot sweeter than Icoa but it is not overly sweet. It is certainly creamy and smooth with just a hint of vanilla towards the end. There is an after taste but it is not too strong.


Thorntons you have surprised me with this block. I was ready to write this one off as a bad joke but it is a reasonable bar of white chocolate and therefore scores a sensible 6/10 for an indulgent snack. I purchased 3 bars for £5.00 which is good value for money. I think I need to enlarge my repertoire of white chocolate to get a better feel and understanding. Let me know which is your favourite white chocolate and I'll try and feature it.

Thorntons - Milk Chocolate with Pistachio

Time is against me this evening! However, there is still time to taste another chocolate block from Thorntons. On this occasion we're moving up from bronze, missing out silver altogether and heading straight to gold! Who likes coming second anyway. This chocolate was awarded by The Guild of Fine Food in 2009. Thorntons also had another gold award that year for their 'Milk Chocolate Strawberry' bar. 


To quote directly from their website, "The Guild was formed in 1995 with a mission to create close links between suppliers and retailers in the independent food sector. With over 1300 members across the UK, it communicates to retailers, producers and suppliers through the ‘industry voice’, Fine Food Digest magazine. Through its unique membership database of accredited suppliers, it identifies thousands of speciality food lines available exclusively to the independent sector, enabling retail members to establish a point of difference between themselves and the supermarkets.

In 1996, the Guild launched the London Speciality & Fine Food Fair and it continues to organise exhibitions in Yorkshire and Scotland under the banner of Speciality Food Fairs. Since 1993 the Guild has organised the Great Taste Awards, the national benchmark for speciality food and drink, which attracts over 4500 entries each year. The GTA has gained widespread recognition among the country’s retailers and consumers and is now seen as the benchmark for fine food in the UK". To read more about The Guild click here.

Once again Thorntons have presented this bar in an eye catching colour, pistachio green and is described as a melt-in-the-mouth creamy chocolate from Madagascar. The chocolate has been given an extra crunch with slightly salted pieces of roasted pistachio. 

The Chocolate: This is a milk chocolate from Madagascar with a 32% cocoa content. The chocolate melts quickly and works well with the salted pistachio nuts. For me it's a bit too sweet and sickly and the pistachio nuts are few and far between. Personally I think pistachio nuts should accompany a gin and tonic or a cool glass of lager, not chocolate. However, I'm sure there are plenty of people who would disagree with me on that one.

For me the chocolate should have been of a higher cocoa content with slightly more pistachio nuts to provide greater crunchiness. So far the Dark Chocolate with Macadamia nuts scores above this and it only received a bronze? Sorry Thorntons this chocolate doesn't quite make it out of the blocks for me and I can only award it a slightly nutty 5/10. Good value for money though, 3 bars for £5.00.

Thortons - Lightly Salted Macadamia on Dark

I was interested to read that Mark Cueto, Sales Shark and England wing, is a chocoholic and that he and the team are fat tested before a match. To maintain his weight he wears extra clothing when training to sweat the excess fat off. You see chocolate is good for you! 

Milk Chocolate Easter Egg Winner - I was amazed to discover that Tesco beat off the likes of Chococo and Rococo in a tasting conducted by the Good Housekeeping Institute. Tesco's Finest Belgian Milk Chocolate Easter Egg with Clotted Cream Fudge and Honeycomb scored 82 out of a possible 100 and is priced at £7.00. Apparently GHI experts tasted 68 chocolate eggs ranging in price from £1.20 to £16.00. The winning egg tasted delicious and was a great size for sharing. This is a farce! C'mon who in their right mind shares their chocolate? If you want to know more about Easter Eggs there is a dedicated review site, click here.

Ok, back to reality having experienced the highs of Ben Rasmussen's handmade chocolate from Costa Rica we're heading closer to home to taste a Thornton's block. I must remain objective and not judge a book by its cover. According to Thorntons this particular bar was awarded bronze by the Academy of Chocolate for best flavoured chocolate 2009. Michel Roux is their patron. In 2009 some entrants commented on the lack of impartiality as many of the top awards went to sponsors of the competition. I wonder if this approach has changed?

I like the little 'factoids' that Thornton's put on the back of their blocks, "sometimes the Italians add a pinch of salt to their coffee to take away the bitterness and enhance the flavour."

Macadamia nuts are predominantly exported from Australia. In comparison to almonds and cashews, macadamias are high in fat and low in protein. But without getting too technical the fat is beneficial.

The Chocolate: This is a dark chocolate from the Dominican Republic with a cocoa content of 60%. As you open the packet your receptors are met with a fruity cocoa aroma which light and pleasant. The chocolate melts quickly to reveal the caramelised salted macadamia. The nuts produce a lovely crunch quality to the chocolate. The nuts have not been over salted and this works well with the dark slightly sweet chocolate. I for one have been converted to macadamia nuts these are so much better than the waxy types that I've tried before. There is also a good spread of nuts throughout the bar.

In terms of scoring this dark chocolate was a little sweet for me but there is no doubt that this is an enjoyable bar of chocolate and I'm happy to award a score of 7/10. These blocks are great value for money and I managed to pick up 3 (70g) for £5.00.


I've been eating bits of chocolate this evening and it is tasting even better!

Thorntons Dark Chocolate with Ginger 61%

A glass of wine has just been offered. Whilst this is very tempting you can't drink white wine and taste chocolate at the same time. In fact there are not that many wines that go with chocolate. Perhaps somebody can tell me which wines are good for drinking with chocolate? However, I have to show my commitment to the job of blogging and tasting chocolate. The show must go on or something like that. Wine will just have to wait a few minutes longer.


Continuing with the Thorntons theme my next chocolate is a block of dark with ginger. The chocolate is from Togo officially the Togolese Republic a small country bordered by Ghana in West Africa. Apparently Togo is highly dependent on agriculture. Apologies about the continuity my previous bar from Thorntons was also a mango coloured package!

The Chocolate: According to Thorntons this chocolate has spicy natural hints of gingerbread. Well I'll have to take their word for it as I'm sure the ginger will mask the flavour of gingerbread. Doh! Chinese ginger has been used to add some fiery heat. Rest assured there is no real heat coming from the ginger just a pleasant aromatic flavour that permeates throughout the munching process. The chunks of crystallised ginger are soft and are well balanced with the dark chocolate. The ginger and earthy flavours of the chocolate don't fade quickly and you're left with a pleasant after taste making this bar very quaff-able a bit like my glass of wine which is waiting for me. 


This is a good bar of chocolate and I'd like to taste the Togo cocoa on its own to really appreciate it as the ginger does mask it. 

For me this bar of chocolate scores a high 7/10 for flavour and texture. At £1.89 from their retail shop at Liverpool Street station you can't go far wrong and it's excellent value for money and I will certainly be going back for more.


To buy this chocolate click here Thorntons.


More Thornton bars can be found here....


http://chocchick.blogspot.com/2011/02/milk-chocolate-with-mango.html


http://chocchick.blogspot.com/2010/09/thorntons-milk-chocolate-with-hazelnut.html

Dark Chocolate With Chilli Mexico 66% Cocoa

The last of the Thorntons blocks for the time being. Have I left the best to last? Well this particular block is from Mexico and in terms of chocolate this is a new country for me having never tasted chocolate from hear before.


To quote from The Chocolate Connoisseur by Chloe Doutre-Roussel, "Mexico: The birthplace of manufactured cocoa, Mexico now producers mainly lower-quality cocoa. Interestingly, a few rare, fragrant Criollo trees grow wild in the jungle of Chiapas in the south. Attempts are underway to revive this precious species." 


So for Thorntons to introduce a chocolate from Mexico is pretty adventurous of them.


The Packaging: Well the packaging had to bright red, it couldn't have been anything else! Unlike the other blocks Thorntons have placed the words 'the art of the Chocolatier' under their logo which suggests the chief has had a hand in it's production.

The Chocolate: You have to be careful when making chilli chocolate to ensure you don't blow peoples heads off. Well, Thorntons this is a good bar of chilli chocolate. I tested it on a couple of people who enjoy chilli chocolate and they said that it needed a bit more fire and wasn't for them! For me it was spot on as it had just enough heat without being over the top. The chocolate is bright and has a great snap. On the mouth the chocolate melts fairly quickly and is moist throughout. The chilli leaves a delicate warmth on the tongue and at the back of the throat. Actually I've just found a bit of chilli and my eyes and nose are running! That will teach me...There is a slight taste of sweetness which comes from the honey and added sugar. 

Overall I give this bar 6/10 for good taste and 'value for money' three bars for £5.00 as part of their promotion. Each bar weighs 80g. I will certainly be back for more.


This post was written by Richard.

White Chocolate with Coconut and Lime Limited Edition

If you're new to chocolate Thorntons is a good place to start. Their website is full of helpful facts and information that will assist the budding chocolate enthusiast to enjoy their purchase even more.


Well, today I'm going to review a white chocolate bar from Thorntons which professors to be a limited edition. I thought that only applied to cars and cut glass? I suppose it means they only produce a certain amount. This particular chocolate is made with cocoa butter from the Dominican Republic. A few years ago I did a blind tasting between a Dominican Republic and Venezuelan white chocolate and guess which one came out on top. Yes, you've guessed it the Dominican Republic. 


What is cocoa butter? Over half the weight of the cured, dried cocoa bean or nib is made up of fat, this can fluctuate depending on the variety of cocoa bean. Cocoa butter is invaluable in the production of quality chocolate. It is also used in cosmetics. It has an unusual quality that it melts just below the temperature of the human body. In the United States "white chocolate" is called "white confectionery coating" as it is not real chocolate.


The Packaging: Similar in style of presentation to the other 'blocks' produced by Thorntons. Very colorful and eye-catching!

The Chocolate: Well as many of you know white chocolate is not really chocolate as it does not contain any cocoa. It is made using cocoa butter and the quality of your white chocolate is dependent on this factor. Chocolatiers beware, use a cheap white chocolate at your peril!

The aroma coming off this chocolate is a heady mix of coconut and lime. As you would expect the chocolate melts quickly and the lime and crunchy coconut kick in. The mix of lime and coconut is just right and enjoyable. For me the chocolate is too sweet but then I'm a lover of dark chocolate. In my opinion this is not a bar to be eaten at one sitting and I have put my bar back in the draw for later.


Overall I give this bar 6 out of 10 mainly for the clever mix of flavours and value for money. I purchased three blocks (80g each) for £5.00 which seemed a fair price to pay.

Thorntons Milk Chocolate with Hazelnut & Raisin

The Story: Thorntons have been making chocolate for a hundred years. Joseph William Thornton opened the first shop in Sheffield, home of the UK's steel industry. He then promptly handed over the running to his two teenage sons Norman and Stanley. Thorntons made a name for itself by producing a particularly sticky toffee that steel workers devoured by the ton. Following the second world war Thorntons brought in specialist skills from Europe to create their soft-centered chocolates. Today Thorntons is based in Derbyshire and employs 4,000 people. 


Packaging: I have to say congratulations to the marketing people at Thorntons for doing a great job on the 'blocks'. Great colours and eye catching! There is a lot of information on the back regarding ingredients, nutrition and how to contact the customer care team which is always a bit disconcerting. The chocolate is enclosed in silver film which has enticing phrases printed all over it such as 'unwrap me', 'eat me' and 'love me'.

The Chocolate: The milk chocolate is made from cocoa sourced from Madagascar and has a cocoa content of 32%. It's described as being creamy with natural hints of citrus fruit and honey. Yes it is creamy but unfortunately the flavours promised do not come through and I only seem to taste sugar. And it is no surprise that sugar is the main ingredient. It's all a bit bland. The outer packaging promises a lot but delivers a fairly boring hazelnut and raisin milk chocolate bar. The amount of hazelnuts and raisins is good and they're respectively crunchy and juicy.

A lot of effort has gone into the design but for my tastes they need to cut the sugar and increase the cocoa content to give it some flavour! In terms of price I couldn't resist buying 3 bars for £5.00 which equates to £1.66 each


Overall I give this bar 5/10 mainly for good packaging, information and value for money.


Well, in response to the words on the packaging, 


"I've unwrapped you and eaten you but I don't love you!"