The first time I heard about a chocolate tasting club by post, I thought it was a hoax. This is even one up compared to online reading clubs! So, you join the tasting club and they send you a brand new box of chocolates every month. A brand new collection of concoctions dreamt up by the Club's chocolatiers. How cool is that?! And when my frens Claire and Martin offered me some from their box one day, I have to say I am impressed. Very impressed, in fact. Very exquisite chocolates; elegant finish and sophisticated taste.
So, I decided to give an introductory subscription to Daddy Low for his birthday. A box of amazing chocolates delivered right to your doorstep by post. In my head, I thought it incredibly cute to see the box of chocolates come through the letter hole; imagine the letters from Hogswarts to Harry Potter coming through the slot, that's how our chocolates are coming! When I ordered it, I was truly excited, except that they could not confirm when it would come, just that it would be within ten days... So I waited... And waited, and well, it finally came today, just 5 days late. Ah well!
When Daddy Low saw them, I think he was more intrigued by the whole idea of the tasting club than the chocolates. Not that he doesn't like the idea of chocolates - he absolutely loves chocolates - but the thought of fancy chocolates coming every month through the post makes the mind boggle, I think.
I think Hotel Chocolat has got their marketing worked out flawlessly. You can have the monthly box or choose whenever you want your next box. But what really caught my interest was the element of active participation and interaction - with each box, there is a menu and a scorecard. The menu informs the taster of the contents of each chocolate and gives tips on how to get the best out of the tasting of each chocolate, while the scorecard allows you to grade each flavor and give your feedback to shape future concoctions. I thought it was marvelous fun and a really fancy move to get customer feedback to make sure one's products answer customers' desires. The chocolatiers are not just British, but also partners from chocolateries from Europe, which adds a nice variation to the chocolates, so very crucial to the concept of a tasting club!
The tasting box holds 30 handmade chocolates of 15 tastes (2 of each flavor, so it's perfect for a couple... now, you know my vested interest... :). Reading the menu makes one think that one has stumbled onto a sort of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory; check these out...
The Sugar Cane Praline - "This recipe features pure hazelnut paste, white chocolate and cane sugar distilledN from pure Mauritian sugar cane juice. Encased in a milk chocolate cup and finished with a sprinkling of cane sugar..."
The Blueberry Truffle - "...a creamy white shell contrasted with a super soft ganache that's bursting with blueberry flavors. Finished with blueberry flakes for added fruitiness."
The Caramel Cheesecake - "2 gorgeous layers in the milk chocolate shell - the first is brimming with the distinctive sour cream flavors of cheesecake, while the second is an oozingly soft caramel. Both mingling together for a mellow take on a classic cheesecake. Finished with chocolate sprinkles."
Yums...
I could go on forever, but then, I would sound like I am selling Hotel Chocolat, which I am not, having no shares or any kind of stakes whatsoever in the company. But I have to say I am bowled over by this whole tasting club thingy Hotel Chocolat came up with. Now, it only remains for us to take the first bite and start our chocolatey odyssey and see whether it is truly worth all that it promises to be. In the meantime, here's some food for thought - there is a wine tasting club by Sunday Times through the post too. Now, wouldn't that go nicely paired with the chocolates? Hmmm... A new bottle every Sunday delivered to the door... Wicked! :)
No comments:
Post a Comment