Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Go and see Danny Bhoy

Showing at Soho theatre until Saturday. Around the world more in the next year.

Nothing to do with chocolate but really funny! Let me know what you think if you go!

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

2 chocolatiers I forgot to mention

In my rush to mention the fine food fair on Sunday in time for Londoners to get down there to see for themselves I totally forgot to mention two other very interesting chocolatiers I encountered: Booja Booja and Zotter.

Booja Booja have been making vegan truffles for years now (I don't know how long exactly, but a while). You wouldn't know they were vegan at all when you eat them. Most excitingly they have a new range of super-fresh truffles coming out that must be kept chilled and these are made using agave syrup/nectar instead of sugar. So they are incredibly good for you. Kudos to them. You can get them in all good department stores in the UK, and some smaller food retailers as well.

Zotter I was alerted to early this year by Will of the market stall in Cabbages and Frocks. I am told they have been making chocolate for years, which would explain why they have such an enormous range. It is very experimental - chocolate and bacon bits, peanut and ketchup. Not all of the flavours are quite so wacky though! One of the really interesting flavours available to taste was a white chocolate bar where instead of using milk powder the chocolatier subsitituted raspberry powder. So it was intensely raspberry-flavoured, and dairy-free to boot. Awesome. You can buy them in Harvey Nichols and some delis around London.

Mr Zotter (a little scary, no?:

Sunday, September 07, 2008

Speciality Fine Food Fair at Olympia in London

I spent five hours here today with my friend from work. It's on for the next two days. If you're in the food industry in the UK it's worth getting down there. Quite a few chocolate happenings of interest, notably:
Lauden Chocolatier of Leeds - no shop yet but making superb fruit chocolates with Valrhona and some Amedei, though all Valrhona at the show.
Valrhona and their new bars and fabulous new packaging.
Ooh la la Chocolatiers - two fun girls making chocolates and cupcakes with a variety of couvetures. I didn't taste their chocolates but they looked interesting!
And some of the old favourites:
Cocoa Loco and their yummy brownies and more
Demarquette
and Vanini were back too.
The Chocolate Empire looked good too but they were busy when I walked past and I forgot to go back. (I was a bit weary by the end!)

http://www.specialityandfinefoodfairs.co.uk/ Enjoy!