Jan DuyaReverend Bloomsworthy

021617

We’ve seen for ourselves on many occasions just how treacherous the rain-soaked, mud tracks can be in Ghana. Even off-road vehicles struggle with the deep potholes and slippery surfaces encountered during the rainy season.

See page 5 for more

Turn to page 12 to find out more

Find the winners on page 13

continued on page 8...

NewsThe monthly newsletter from the Tasting Club

Issue 1104

IT’S BACK!!!The utterly unique Create a Chocolate Competition is here – don’t miss your chance to have your chocolate star in a monthly selection.

It really is on the way! And we’ve had a sneak preview of what it has in store for us…

If you were one of our super sleuths over the Christmas period, then you could well be a winner in the Chocolatier’s Mystery Prize Draw.

FREE CHOCOLATE TASTING for a year?

Terry inspects one of the 1,000 new seedlings we’ve delivered to this remote spot

Last year’s big project was the buying of a truck, with the help of members’ generous donations. During our last trip to Ghana we learned that it has been an invaluable addition – and in many different ways.

COMPETITION

Create a

Chocolate

A Taste of

Summer

Two FarmersA Tale of

2

editorLetter from the

welcome to your latest edition of Club News. This month’s lead story is about two farmers we met in Ghana, whose farms have been

transformed and whose livelihoods are set to improve by the arrival of our new truck. The simple fact that their farms are so remote meant that they couldn’t take part in any of our projects. However, even the worst dirt roads and overgrown tracks couldn’t stop our intrepid truck from getting through and they’ve already had 1,000 seedlings each. It’s a real success story and one that wouldn’t have been possible without the generous donations of Tasting Club members.

Elsewhere in this issue, you’ll find that we’re officially launching the Create a Chocolate Competition. As far as I know, this truly is a one-of-its-kind competition – allowing real chocolate lovers to create a chocolate and then have it appear in a monthly selection. Please see page 5 for the details and page 15 for the entry form.

It’s a real success story and one that wouldn’t have been possible without the generous donations

of Tasting Club members.“ “

And finally, you’ll see that Tasting Club Director, Terry Waters, appears twice this month. First he pops up in Saint Lucia where he’s been filming and then we find him in Ghana, where he took an impromptu dip – which isn’t as relaxing as it sounds…

Until next month, happy tasting!

Simon Thirlwell Club News Editor

The brand new Purist Selection starts shipping this month – find

out more on page 4!

Send your letters to The Chocolate Tasting Club, Mint House, Royston SG8 5HL, or simply email me on simon@hotelchocolat.co.uk or via our website: www.chocs.co.uk We are waiting to hear from you! Club News Editor: Simon Thirlwell; Contributors: Simon Thirlwell, Terry Waters. © The Chocolate Tasting Club plc 2011

PaNNiNgImprove your chocolate knowledge

Panning is a technique apparently first used by the ancient Egyptians to make confectionary. In chocolate making,

it involves a large copper drum, much like a cement mixer in looks, but a million miles away in results. The items to be panned are placed inside the copper drum (whole hazelnuts for example) and it starts to slowly rotate.

Next, the coating is added (pure chocolate or praline for example) in liquid form and in careful drizzles. The items tumble around picking up a thin coat as they go and, little by little, build up a nice thick covering. It’s an amazingly versatile technique – after all, what wouldn’t taste good with a chocolate coating?

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doN’t forget – score by post or online at www.chocs.co.uk and you’ll be automatically entered into the prize draw

winnersThis month’s Prize Draw

Available for £18.95 (including delivery). Please call 08444 933 933 to switch to The Purist Selection or you can also request a special one-off to see what it’s all about!

Please note if you take a The Purist Selection as a one off, payment is required at time of order.

STARTS SHIppING THIS mONTH!

S42 Elements prize draw winner is Mr Steve Marr from Manningtree who wins a White Chocolate Easter Eggsposé.

Next month’s prize is a White & Caramel Cookies Giant Slab.

K65 Dark Selection prize draw winner is Mrs Sue Gardner from Wakefield who wins a Dark Chocolate Easter Eggsposé.

Next month’s prize is a Serious Dark Fix Sleekster Selection.

PuristThe

Selection

If you like exploring the distinctive flavours and aromas of rare cocoa, then you’ll love the new Purist Selection!

With predominantly dark chocolate, but some high cocoa milk too, it features exceptional cocoa from around the world – all in simple recipes designed to showcase premium ingredients. Including solid chocolate tablets and logs, enrobed fruit, crunchy nuts, one or two filled chocolates and more. The Purist Selection won’t feature any alcohol-led recipes, although some filled chocolates may contain a tiny amount of alcohol, which is there to help preserve the filling and cannot be tasted.

LAST CALL FOR...

D132 Classic Selection prize draw winner is Mr B Rowlatt from Peterborough who wins a Milk Chocolate Easter Eggsposé.

Next month’s prize is an Exuberantly Fruity Sleekster Selection.

Don’t miss your chance to enter – see entry form on page 15 or you can download a copy at www.chocs.co.uk/CREATEFORm

For terms & conditions see www.chocs.co.uk/CREATECHOC

COMPETITION

Create a

Chocolate

The Create a Chocolate Competition is here. It’s our unique annual event that gives you the opportunity to show us what you’re made of and just how creative you can be. Milk, dark, white chocolate… truffles, pralines, solid chocolate slabs… if you can imagine it, then why not submit it?

Club Founder, Angus Thirlwell, will judge the entries and choose the winning

chocolates. Each winning entry is then made up by one of our chocolatiers and features in a monthly Tasting Selection – to be assessed and scored by your fellow members. Plus, each winner will receive a case of their own stunning creations, containing at least 200 chocolates, to flaunt in front of friends and family!

The ultimate competition for chocolate lovers is back – your opportunity to create a stunning chocolate and then see it in your monthly tasting box!

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Thank you to everyone who took time out over the holidays to send us their Christmas Collection scores and comments. Here are the top 10 chocolates that most impressed you and a warming reminder of those chilly days and cosy nights of the Christmas period.

Classic Collection1. Winter Berry Soufflé by O Coppeneur 8.47 (34% scored it 10/10)2. Christmas mess by G Pereira 8.46 (38% scored it 10/10)3. Amaretto Truffle by K Kalenko 8.38 (29% scored it 10/10)4. Gingerbread Truffle by R Macfadyen 8.37 (23% scored it 10/10)5. Caramel Chocolate Reindeer 8.31 (34% scored it 10/10)6. mellow milk Chocolate Santas 8.29 (26% scored 10/10)7. Kooky Christmas by O Nicod 8.25 (27% scored it 10/10)8. Rum & Raisin by M Meier 8.22 (26% scored it 10/10)9. Salted Liquid Caramel by M Meier 8.19 (27% scored it 10/10)10. Coffee & Walnut Cake by R Macfadyen 8.19 (27% scored it 10/10)

Dark Collection1. Alternative Christmas pud by R Macfadyen 8.49 (27% scored it 10/10)2. Coffee & Walnut Cake by R Macfadyen 8.46 (31% scored it 10/10)3. Amarena Butterscotch by E Desmet 8.46 (29% scored it 10/10)4. Amaretto Truffle by K Kalenko 8.43 (31% scored it 10/10)5. Zesty Dark Chocolate Reindeer 8.42 (26% scored it 10/10)6. Rum & Raisin by M Meier 8.42 (25% scored 10/10)7. Honey & Almond Cheesecake by E Desmet 8.34 (33% scored it 10/10)8. Winter Berry Soufflé by O Coppeneur 8.34 (34% scored it 10/10)9. Christmas mess by G Pereira 8.30 (26% scored it 10/10)10. Dark Chocolate Santas 8.29 (22% scored it 10/10)

Just about as perfect as you can get! This really zapped the taste buds!

Joy Irving, Cirencester

Who’d choose any other if you could have a

box of these?

Valerie Evans, Brigham

The results are in!

WINTER BERRY SOUFFLÉ

ALTERNATIVE CHRISTmAS pUD

Christmas 2010

“

“

“

“

Classic & Dark Christmas Collections

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MAKING Movies

Main picture: Intrepid film makers become safari porters as Ally the camera man leads with the producer, Nadia, following. Inset: Director Lydia checks the equipment – thankfully nothing was damaged en route!

our purpose was to make a new television commercial for the Club and the boxes and bags were the

cameras and filming equipment. Our current commercial is good but we felt it doesn’t give enough importance to the whole process we go through to create and deliver our chocolates. So, this new one starts right at the beginning with a small flower emerging from the trunk of a cocoa tree. The flower turns into a green bud, which then becomes a tiny pod, or cheril as it is called when it reaches the size of a chilli, and then into an increasingly larger pod, to the size of a somewhat elongated melon. This all happens over a period of five months. Unlike a fruit

tree in your garden, the whole process of flower to fully-grown pod happens throughout the year and can be happening simultaneously on the same tree. So what we were looking for was the ‘ideal tree’ on which we could show this progression. In fact we had found it a couple of days before and what made it so ideal was that it had six pods of increasing size all in a row!

We’re aiming to have the commercial ready for its first airing some time in April. We’ll let you know the details via the Club’s website, but I’m sure it will be good – the film crew are all highly experienced and were backed by £14,000 worth of filming equipment. No wonder it was so heavy!

Saint Lucia’s humming birds and other rainforest creatures would have been bemused at the end of February to see a small group led by Club Director, Terry Waters, wending their way through the Rabot Estate plantation, carrying an odd collection of boxes and bags. What were they doing there? Terry explains:

Just about as perfect as you can get! This really zapped the taste buds!

Joy Irving, Cirencester

Who’d choose any other if you could have a

box of these?

Valerie Evans, Brigham

WINTER BERRY SOUFFLÉ

ALTERNATIVE CHRISTmAS pUD “

“

continued from page 1

9

Unfortunately, these are the only roads and tracks available if we want to reach the cocoa farmers of Osuben Basin. And this need to get around safely and efficiently was precisely why we wanted to buy a truck in the first place.

The other major reason for buying the truck was to extend the reach of our projects, so that we could visit farms further afield and in even more isolated areas. Many cocoa farmers have never been able to take advantage of our seedlings programme to rejuvenate their farms because they live too far away from the nearest nursery. They cannot afford to pay for transport and it is just too far to walk whilst carrying seedlings.

During our last trip to Ghana we visited one such isolated area where there are two farms that are now accessible to us that hadn’t been before the arrival of the truck. However, such was the state of the overgrown track leading to the farms that even our robust 4x4 vehicle was forced to crawl along carefully. Finally, we pushed through the last of the overhanging branches and found ourselves looking out over perhaps an acre or two of cleared land.

We met Joseph and Emmanuel, whose farms are adjacent to each other. They explained that this year, for the first time, they had been able to take part in our seedlings programme by taking 1,000 cocoa seedlings each, which have been used to extend their farms. Isaac, who is one of our partners in Ghana, explained that on previously inaccessible farms like this, farmers have had to grow their own seedlings to plant out.

The problem with that approach is that in most cases they are replicating the old strain of Ghanaian cocoa that produces fewer pods and is more susceptible to pests and disease. Indeed, both farmers admitted that they have had extremely mixed results with this approach in the past and both were now very happy that they have access to our high quality seedlings.

These two farmers were also the beneficiaries of another of our programmes, the plantain project. As you might know, cocoa seedlings need constant shade and the plantain stands head and shoulders above the alternative shade trees because it not only provides food, but the plant itself actually enhances the soil. However, plantains are expensive, but our project teaches farmers how to split one seedling into as many as 20 mini-seedlings and Joseph was one such farmer who now has his own plantain nursery. Which is quite handy because when you have 1,000 cocoa seedlings to plant out, you need quite a few shade trees!

However, as we looked at the cocoa seedlings we couldn’t help noticing that not all of the shade trees were the same. There were two types of plantains on view – those that had been cultivated by Joseph in his nursery and those that had been brought in from elsewhere. Joseph’s homegrown plants weren’t just taller, they looked much more healthy and robust too.

We look forward to visiting Joseph and Emmanuel again next time to see how their trees are getting along!

Clockwise from top left – Terry and Simon talking cocoa with local farmers; baby plantains doing well; rows of healthy cocoa seedlings; loading the truck; disappearing into the bush; and Essie shows her skill in applying decals to the truck

Two FarmersA Tale of

Finally, we pushed through the last of the overhanging branches and found ourselves looking out over perhaps an acre or two

of cleared land.“

”

scores

10

Classic SELECTION – D132 1. Caramel Cube by M Meier 8.48 (32% scored it 10/10)2. Hair of the Dog by R Macfadyen 8.40 (33% scored it 10/10)3. Dark & mellow by E Desmet 8.33 (25% scored it 10/10)4. Vanilla Cranberry by O Coppeneur 8.30 (31% scored it 10/10)5. pecan Round by K Kalenko 8.28 (25% scored it 10/10)6. Flat White by O Nicod 8.22 (24% scored it 10/10)7. Armagnac Armchair by O Nicod 8.15 (22% scored it 10/10)8. Cherry Truffle – milk by G Pereira 8.12 (21% scored it 10/10)9. Cherry Truffle – Dark by G Pereira 8.09 (22% scored it 10/10)10. Curd Tart Kicker by J Hall & E Desmet 8.05 (21% scored it 10/10)11. Double Crunch by R Macfadyen 8.02 (22% scored it 10/10)12. Aurum Buttercream by JC Vandenberghe 7.99 (21% scored it 10/10)13. Apricot Frangipane by M Meier 7.99 (19% scored it 10/10)14. South American Blend Tasting Batons 7.97 (20% scored it 10/10)15. milky Blend Tasting Batons 7.94 (19% scored 10/10)16. Nougat Nibble by O Coppeneur 7.84 (19% scored 10/10)

Dark SELECTION – K651. Dark & mellow by E Desmet 8.59 (32% scored it 10/10)2. Hair of the Dog by R Macfadyen 8.52 (33% scored it 10/10)3. Armagnac Armchair by O Nicod 8.39 (26% scored it 10/10)4. Caramel Cube by M Meier 8.38 (23% scored it 10/10)5. pecan Round by K Kalenko 8.38 (29% scored it 10/10)6. Curd Tart Kicker by J Hall & E Desmet 8.37 (25% scored it 10/10)7. Double Crunch by R Macfadyen 8.36 (32% scored it 10/10)8. Flat White by O Nicod 8.33 (25% scored it 10/10)9. Vanilla Cranberry by O Coppeneur 8.32 (34% scored it 10/10)10. Island Growers 65% Dark Tasting Batons 8.27 (23% scored it 10/10)11. Cherry Truffle by G Pereira 8.22 (25% scored it 10/10)12. Apricot Frangipane by M Meier 7.96 (20% scored it 10/10)13. Aurum Buttercream by JC Vandenberghe 7.88 (21% scored it 10/10)14. Nougat Nibble by O Coppeneur 7.79 (16% scored 10/10)

Elements – S431. Sticky Toffee Caramel 8.52 (38% scored it 10/10)2. pecan Round by K Kalenko 8.50 (40% scored it 10/10)3. 40% House milk Chocolate 8.35 (24% scored it 10/10)4. milky Blend Tasting Batons 8.22 (17% scored 10/10)5. Double Crunch by R Macfadyen 7.94 (28% scored it 10/10)6. Banoffee Slab 7.88 (21% scored it 10/10)7. Nougat Nibble by O Coppeneur 7.82 (19% scored 10/10)8. Cherry Truffle by G Pereira 7.78 (34% scored it 10/10)9. Stealthy Chilli by O Nicod 6.99 (16% scored it 10/10)10. Island Growers 65% Dark Tasting Batons 6.82 (14% scored it 10/10)

Caramel Cube

Dark & Mellow

Sticky Toffee Caramel

feedback

11

“As always a fantastic selection of treats with intense flavours. Every chocolate is individual and really has your taste buds dancing, thank you!”Tracey Salkus, Diss

“A lovely festive box. What a shame I can’t take to pralines though. You will really have to win me round. Ganaches and truffles rule!”Michelle, online

“This is what Christmas is all about – exciting to open, lovely to look at and something to suit all tastes.”Mandy McIntosh, Elgin

“The best box yet! my very young grandsons are keen to score and also to write on the card. They take tasting very seriously and I am glad that they now know and appreciate the difference in the quality of good chocolate.”Enid Barlow, online

“So glad we indulged in getting 2 boxes or we would have been fighting over them. Roll on next Christmas.”Peter Graham, Liskeard

“There were some seriously good chocolates in this selection. Hope 2011 brings many more of the same.”Heather Watson, Market Drayton

Brickbat Hair of the Dog – Classic“Would rather have eaten a dog’s hair! The chocolate casing was the only redeeming feature!”

Cathy Lovett, St Albans

Brickbat Aurum Buttercream – Dark“No wonder no one has heard of Aurum – or was it the bland, oversweet, sticky buttercream?”

Barbara Wooding, Gravesend

Brickbat Stealthy Chilli – Elements“Shame the chilli was so stealthy it was undetectable.”

Chris Allan, Cambridge

Bouquet Pecan Round – Classic“The most amazingly textured praline and fabulous nutty taste – I could eat a dozen!”

Gemma Morgan, London

Bouquet Curd Tart Kicker – Classic“Great to see this Yorkshire treat getting a makeover, with a real kick.”

Karen Eliot, Bentham

Bouquet Flat White – Dark“Exactly right for a café au lait. How did you do that?”

Sean Conlin, Walderton

Bouquet Caramel Cube – Dark“First Rate. The texture combination was just amazing.”

Lauren MacLeod, Aberdeen

Bouquet Banoffee Slab – Elements“My first bite of my first ever Tasting Club box – and the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted!”

Catriona Benson, Shrewsbury

Have Your Say!Bouquet Hair of the Dog – Classic“Oh yes! Makes me want to have a hangover just to need one of these!”

Dr Valerie Dock, West Sussex

Christmas CollectionComments...

preview

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IT’S COmING!

You never know what our great British Summers have in store for us, but one thing is for sure – with Summer Desserts on its way, it’ll be a sizzler come rain or shine!

Last year we created the first ever Summer Desserts and it really took the Tasting Club by storm.

And, if the truth be known, the scale of its success took even us by surprise. Every single chocolate in that first collection scored well over the 8 mark and, not surprisingly, we also had rave reviews and comments from members.

But then again, perhaps we should have anticipated its enormous success.

After all, desserts are for many a highly anticipated part of any meal and it’s not simply because they are the last course. Plus, if you love chocolate, then the chances are that you’re probably partial to a gorgeous dessert too.

This year is set to be even better with a collection of brand new recipes, three members’ choice desserts and some of the best creations from last year too – coming in July!

RESERVE NOW for the members-only price of £22.95(£18 + £4.95 p&p) at www.chocs.co.uk/SUmmER or call 08444 72 70 70

With 18 recipes and exclusive ‘secret’ recipe cards from the Boucan Restaurant, Summer Desserts is set to be another sizzler!

updates

It was Christmas Eve at Ganache Towers and all was not well. Foul play was most definitely afoot, as one of the world’s greatest chocolatiers lay slumped across his desk…

Last month we revealed exactly who was behind the dastardly deed committed in The Chocolatier’s Mystery. But the chocolate-loving sleuths who took part over the Christmas period weren’t in it just for the sheer entertainment, the chocolate tasting or the glory. There was also a Prize Draw at stake and an amazing prize for six lucky winners.

mr R p of Barnetmrs L m of Londonmr D D of Stoke on Trentmrs L A of Londonmr p R of Marlboroughmr A S of Lee on the Solent

So, congratulations to all six of our super sleuths who have each won a whole year’s worth of FREE CHOCOLATE TASTING. We wish you a drama-free 12 months of chocolate tasting!

WHAT’S IN A Name?Over the years there have been some memorable chocolate names, both good and bad, as well as some that were downright odd! Which begs the question – just how are chocolates named?

in the early years of the Tasting Club, we used the names that chocolatiers gave their chocolates. So, we ended up with things like

Wafeltje Melk, Manon and Diamant – because most chocolatiers name their chocolates either after the shape of the shell of what is in them. There are also chocolatiers, who shall remain nameless, that name their chocolates after the important women in their life. We’ve had Charlotte, Isabelle, Bianca, Virginie, Suzy, Marie, Claudia, Eve… and even a Nefertiti.

They may be highly creative chocolate makers but, as you can see, when it came to names they aren’t the best! Which is why we’ve been naming chocolates ourselves for several years and often with good helping of British wit – need we mention Drunken Raspberry or Between the Nuts?

13

Old meets new – Wafeltje Melk from the early days of the Club meets the staggering Drunken Raspberry

Prize Draw Results

and finally

14

Hotel Chocolat chocolates were well represented at the swanky Film Nominees Party, held at Asprey in Bond Street, while the dessert and petit fours for the exclusive dinner held after the

awards at Grosvenor House were also Hotel Chocolat creations. And last, but certainly

not least, Tasting Club chocolatier, Olivier Nicod, also created exclusive BAFTA chocolate masks. Angus told us, “This was a great opportunity for us to

show off our British creativity. And you can imagine how pleased I was to hear actress

Gemma Arterton say that our dessert was the best part of the ceremony and that Samuel

L Jackson is a big fan of our chocolate covered cocoa nibs!”

The vast majority of the world’s cocoa is grown on smallholdings that are often isolated in the middle of nowhere. Which is usually why you’ll find us hiking through the bush during our visits to Ghana.

TERRY TAKES A

Dip in Ghana

And the WINNER is...

Terry’s dip turned out to be less refreshing than he’d hoped...

Both Hotel Chocolat and BAFTA are devoted to the pursuit of excellence and the very best of British – so it’s the perfect partnership.

This is the second year that Hotel Chocolat has been an official sponsor of BAFTA and this year was more delicious than ever!

And it was on one such hike through the bush during our last trip to Osuben that Terry got a little closer to nature than he bargained for – as he toppled off a slippery log bridge and ended up chest deep in muddy water. Thankfully, Terry saw the funny side as he tipped water out of his boots, although none of the rest of us found it remotely amusing, of course.

competition

✁

15

cut

her

e

HOW TO ENTER:

Just complete your details and those of your stunning chocolate using this entry form, then send it to the address below. Alternatively, you can email your entry to simon@hotelchocolat.co.uk and you can also download a copy of this form at www.chocs.co.uk/CREATEFORM

COmpETITION CLOSES 31ST mAY 2011

Send this entry form to CTC Create a Chocolate Competition, Mint House, Royston SG8 5HLFor terms & conditions please see www.chocs.co.uk/CREATECHOC

Name

Member No. or Postcode

Telephone No.

Email Address

NAmE OF YOUR CHOCOLATE:

pLEASE SKETCH YOUR CHOCOLATE HERE:

DESCRIBE THE FILLING OF YOUR CHOCOLATE:

DESCRIBE THE SHELL AND DECORATION OF YOUR CHOCOLATE:

COMPETITION

Create a

Chocolate

OPEN NOW

With our Boucan restaurant and Cocoa Cottages now fully open (and getting rave reviews), The Hotel is ready to welcome you with our

amazing tailored experiences…

Romance & Rest – For couples – a chance to relax and spend time together with an amazing shared experience. Total Cacao Immersion – All you need to totally immerse

yourself in the world of our single estate cacao growing and fine chocolate. Big Nature – For energetic nature lovers who would like to make the most of the natural

eco-paradise setting of Rabot Estate. Fun in the Sun – If you just love being on a beautiful beach and relaxing, this is the one for you. Tailor Made Packages – if you fancy

a little bit from each themed package, just ask our Reservations team.

For a full brochure and details including rates and current offers, please: Email: reservations@hotelchocolat.com Call: 0844 544 1272

To book Call: 0844 544 1272 Online: www.thehotelchocolat.com

Menu to view now www.thehotelchocolat.com/dining

– Rabot Estate Saint Lucia –

RESTAURANT & BAR