Earlier this month, I attended the in-store Christmas Shopping Event at Hotel Chocolat, an experience available in most stores around the UK. While I attended the event in Stamford, York was an option.
The tickets were £10 per person and included a complimentary glass of champagne or soft drink alternative, as well as unlimited samples of chocolate, velvetised cream and gin throughout the evening. Upon arrival at 6pm, staff greeted us warmly, gave us our drink and then guided us towards the free samples around the shop.
The chocolate samples, as far as I know, were from one of the selection boxes available to buy and were thoughtfully arranged on the main table at the front of the shop and consistently replaced throughout the night. Each one was delicious and perfectly replicated the labelled flavour. We unashamedly went back for more than one over the course of the evening. In between these chocolate trips, we sampled the velvetised creams and gin, which I can safely say, are so yummy, that you can’t even tell there’s alcohol in them! My personal favourite was the salted caramel though the other flavours available were: black forest gateau, espresso martini, mint and chocolate (all at 12% alcohol). As for the gin, flavoured with “cacao”, it was just as delicious but a little stronger at 40% and would most likely be nicer with tonic or mixed into a cocktail (although we could only try it neat in the shop). As well as this, hot chocolate demonstrations were going on using the famous Velvetiser and guests were encouraged to sample the new seasonal hot chocolate “Peppermint-White” which I think perfectly represents the taste of a candy cane.
All of the staff were very knowledgeable and relayed their expertise about the originality, authenticity, and ethics behind the making of these fabulous products (which you can read more about here). Summarised, however, the chocolate used is sourced naturally and ethically with the majority of their chocolate being 40-50% cacao, way above average compared to other competitors.
The price of the chocolates ranged from £5 to £50, whereas none of the alcohol was more than £26. By the end of the night, we had spent £47 and had bought an advent calendar, three chocolate selectors and a bottle of the salted caramel velvetised cream.
The night was delicious, insightful and all-round exciting. To be able to shop the Christmas range early was wonderful and it is now available in all stores and online for everyone to shop. I will definitely be returning to buy Christmas presents and I encourage everyone to have a look too!
