Starting as a catalogue-based business, that’s exactly what they did, making their brand of exclusive chocolates available to UK consumers for the first time. An award-winning website soon followed and in 2004 the first of many Hotel Chocolat stores appeared on the high street.

Forging close ties with like-minded partner chocolatiers across Europe, their Chocolate Tasting Club attracts well over 100,000 regular members who enjoy a brand new selection of artisan chocolates every month. The recently launched All Dark Club for dark chocolate enthusiasts is quickly following in those hugely successful footsteps.

Using authentic, wholesome ingredients is key to Hotel Chocolat’s success, a position that is strengthened with the historic cocoa plantation, Rabot Estate, in the West Indies. This exciting new step allows them to make a unique and exciting connection between you the consumer and the cocoa plantation. Becoming an origin chocolatier is a large investment and full of risk – no wonder no other UK chocolate maker has made the same commitment to real chocolate.

We were lucky enough sample the following chocolates. They were every bit as delicious as we expected!

Just Truffles

Fresh, crisp chocolate shells with lickably soft cream centres… the very essence of an authentic truffle. Real alcohol (no flavourings!) helps preserve the cream in a meltingly soft state. Champagne, rum, cointreau, calvados, crème caramel, tiramisu and much more.

Chocogram Deluxe

The classic Chocogram® Deluxe. A fine balance of tastes and texture, and a safe choice if you are unsure what they will like. The selection includes pralines, ganaches, buttercreams and caramels… the soft, the firm, the nutty, the smooth, the flavoursome, the mellow… finished with a hand-piped flourish.

For more information visit www.hotelchocolat.co.uk