National Chocolate Week - 12th-18th October

Celebrate the world of fine chocolate between October 12th-18^th 2015 ending with The Chocolate Show at Olympia from 16^th -18^th October 2015. Evidence of people eating chocolate dates back to 1900BC. Nowadays it has become a very popular food stuff promising to make you feel good and happy and even having health benefits if taken in moderation – so indulge yourself with the best!

The aim is to promote fine flavour chocolate from independent companies many of whom are working in direct partnership with cocoa farmers and encouraging people to pay a fairer price for their chocolate.

The Cocoa Tree grows in hot, humid climates shaded by taller growing plants and trees. The tree begins to flower after 2-5 years, reaching maturity at 12 years and bearing fruit for around 30 years. Cocoa pods are between 15-25cm in length and each tree produces between 1 -1.5Kg of beans per year.

Seeds of the Cocoa Tree have an intense bitter taste and need to be fermented to develop their flavour after which they are dried, cleaned and roasted. The shell is removed to produce cocoa nibs which are ground to form a cocoa mass which when liquefied is cocoa liquor. The liquor can be further processed into cocoa solids and cocoa butter.

Much of today’s chocolate is sweet- milk chocolate contains additional milk powder or condensed milk, White chocolate contains cocoa butter, milk and sugar but no cocoa solids.

Raw chocolate ingredients are dried at low temperature or in the sun to preserves health giving enzymes and then minimally processed.

We stock a wide range of chocolate products to suit all tastes and needs including gluten-free, dairy-free, Vegan and no added sugar. Consider paying that little bit extra that is not only better for you but tastes delicious too!