Give the gift of Chocolate! Or scoff them all yourself....either way, we are delighted to shine a spotlight on some of our favourite British Chocolatiers.
Let's get stuck in!
1683 Chocolate Place - Knowle, Midlands
Opening in 2015 by Joe Vaughn, the story behind 1683 Chocolate Place is one that we just love! Joe had just turned 16 when he opened this business and had recently finished an intensive training course at The Chocolate Academy! He wanted to produce chocolate, without the preservatives and additives usually used, but still with an amazing taste. As a result, the chocolate produced is so fresh that it has a shelf life of only one week - but if you are anything like me… it won’t last a week anyway! With a range of chocolates, cakes and even croissants to choose from, they are so delicious that you will want to eat them straight away!
They have JUST released their Limited Edition 2020 Advent Calendar - be quick!
Aphrodite Artisan Chocolatiers - Derbyshire
For the last 20 years, a small family-run business in Derbyshire has been focused on creating luxury handmade chocolates of the finest quality. They pride themselves on having a range of unusual chocolates, as well as mastering the more traditional and original flavours.
With as little mechanical intervention as possible, the products are made by hand, using only the finest cacao and the best of natural ingredients.
No additional sugars, oils or additives used in the process, you are sure to enjoy them just as much as we do!
Montezuma’s - West Sussex
Montezuma’s: a small chocolatier, with BIG values, and that is why we love them!
The wife and husband duo have been going for a fantastic 20 years with the primary goal of making exceptional chocolate from the finest of ingredients, but only through matching the strictest quality expectations and ethics - known by them as Trading Fairly.
Through paying premium prices for their ingredients, they are ensuring that they create sustainable cocoa production through farmer’s education and investment in local communities, particularly encouraging school education. With brand values like this, we can’t help but dig into the fantastic chocolate they create!
Willie’s Cacao - Devon
For those of you who watched the Channel 4 documentary Willie’s Wonky Chocolate Factory back in 2008, you may recognise our next famous chocolatier!
Using an old 1920’s batch roaster and antique conching tanks, Willie is able to capture the subtle and unique flavours from his cacao, in a way that most modern and commercialised machines are not able to do.
In a secret recipe created by Willie, only raw cane sugar and a small amount of natural cacao butter are added to his mixture - no additional preservatives or additives can be found in this chocolate! Although the bean to bar journey, from his own farms to his factory in Devon may take a while, it is certainly worth waiting for. Try out his chocolate and you will most definitely see why!
Paul.a.young - London
Paul Young, at the forefront of the British chocolate scene, has won many awards, now in the same category as some of the best chocolatiers in the world.
With a background of working under Marco Pierre White as Head Pastry Chef, his passion soon focused on chocolate, which leads us to now where he has 2 artisan chocolate shops located in Soho and Islington. Specialising in working in small batches and using fresh ingredients, you will find unique and daring flavour combinations to try!
Don’t know what to choose?
Why not try out the Chocolate Tasting Kit which includes 10 varieties of chocolate in 20 mini foiled bars, included you’ll find a tasting guide and marking sheet to note down your favourites!
Locations:
143 Wardour Street, Soho, London W1F // Nearest Tube: Oxford Circus
33 Camden Passage, Islington, London N1 // Nearest Tube: Angel
Artisan du Chocolat - London
Artisan du Chocolat has been handcrafting chocolate in the Kent countryside since 1999. In the years since they have shown chocolate has no limits! In 2002, with Gordon Ramsay being their first customer - they invented Salted caramel which in this day and age has become a common flavour loved by many. Taking it further, their candied gingers were sent up into space as a NASA astronaut's favourite food! If it’s worthy to be sent into space, it’s definitely not one to miss gracing your taste buds with.
If you’re a chocoholic then you must check out their Cocoa Rehab. A typical rehab package for 3 months would include a box of couture chocolates, a box of 210g assorted liquid salted caramels and an assortment of Great British chocolate bars. You can choose from a 3, 6 or 12 month subscription for you or a loved one and they start from £60.
Locations:
Boutique Chelsea, 89 Lower Sloane St, London SW1W // Nearest Station: Sloane Square
Concession Selfridges, 400 Oxford St, London W1A // Nearest Station: Bond Street
West Hampstead, 236 West End Lane, London NW6 // Nearest Station: West Hampstead
Borough Market, 8 Southwark St, London SE1 // Nearest Station: London Bridge
Melt - London
Londoner Louise Nason founded Melt in 2006, headquartered, handcrafted and sold in Notting Hill.
This chic boutique makes seasonal chocolates daily, you can see if for yourself with the open view kitchen! Watching the chocolatiers rolling truffles whilst inhaling the rich scent of chocolate is an amazing experience.
Melts beautiful designer packaging is plastic free and have a passion to minimise their carbon footprint, we love sustainable products! Chocolate is naturally vegan, and Melt is offering a stunning vegan selection that makes it accessible to all.
The store hosts chocolate tasting and making classes onsite and virtually which is Covid friendly.
Locations:
Notting Hill, 59 Ledbury Road W11 // Nearest Station: Notting Hill Gate
Holland Park, 6 Clarendon Road W11 // Nearest Station: Holland Park
Concession Selfridges, 400 Oxford St, London W1A // Nearest Station: Bond Street
Lime Tree Larder - Scotland
Operating from a working farm, Lime Tree Larder is a small, family-run company producing both chocolate and ice-cream.
Committed to producing the highest quality of products, only natural ingredients are used, and small batches are created. By not taking the company global and remaining local, the produce is sure to be as fresh as possible, and as tasty as ever!
What’s more, they now offer workshops and group visits, to allow others to enjoy and test out their own chocolate making skills!
Philip Neal - Turnham Green, Outer London
Philip Neal is all about luxury chocolates, striving to be innovative, original and handmade to incredibly high standards.
Priding themselves on using natural ingredients and using just 5 of them to create the base of their chocolate; cacao solid, soya, natural vanilla, cane sugar and pure cacao butter, with no additives! Loving being rather eccentric, this is the place to go and find a chocolate stiletto or perhaps a chocolate buddha.
All recipes created by Philip Neal himself, you will find all sorts of seasonal options throughout the year too.
Location:
43 Turnham Green Terrace, London, W4 // Nearest Station: Turnham Green
Rococo Chocolates - London
