Chocolate Week - an entire week dedicated to chocolate all over the UK. This week is a close second to Christmas with my family in my list of times of the year full of awesomeness (my family is full of awesomeness). There are a lot of things happening but what to choose? I usually default to Divine Chocolate events because they are one of the oldest sponsors
First and foremost, Salon du Chocolat is launching in the Uk at long last. Taking the place of Chocolate Unwrapped as the ending to Chocolate Week, Salon du Chocolat is a huge festival of chocolate. In Paris it is absolutely huge with what seems like hundreds of stands. I've been twice and the thing is HUGE. Since Salon in London will be at Kensington Olympia I think it will also be massive and tons fun with lots of places to buy different and hard-to-find chocolate.
Mainly I'm a massive fan of the afternoon teas. Anyone who reads my blog will know my mother reviewed the Thornton's afternoon tea at the Park Lane Hotel for £41 including champagne. There's also The Lanesborough Chocolate Afternoon Tea - £38 per person which I'm going to be trying with my mother (so she'll get to try more teas than me ;-) ) which is being done with Valrhona chocolate. I really enjoy Valrhona because the work quite hard to get a complex flavour from the beans and yet create standard chocolate.
Afternoon teas aside, there is a really interesting event in York. I've visited there in the past on a specific chocolate break but for Chocolate Week there is a really interesting presentation (I guess you'd call it) of Blood + Chocolate. With a cast of 200 people, this epic journey follows the workers of the great York-based chocolate factories, Rowntree's and Terry's, who went off to war, the women who took their places until they returned and what happened when they didn't.
At Fortnum & Mason's, Valrhona are sending one of their chocolate experts from France to teach customers how to taste chocolate, how chocolate is made and then giving a guided tutorial tasting on a selection of bars. While there is a charge for this event of £40, it includes some bubbly and every guest receives a goody bag. Seems like a great chance to try something new!
If you aren't sure what to do, why not opt for a chocolate tour? The tours available from Chocolate Ecstasy Tours aren't just about racing around chocolate shops - they are also all about teaching you about chococlate, how to taste and where to find exceptional chocolate in and around London. If you don't fancy trying to make sense of MY MAP, then check out these exceptional tours
Have you ever watched the movie Chocolat and wished you could eat along with the movie? Well, now you can! Toot Sweets in Shrewsbury are partnering with the Lion Hotel to present an eatalong Chocolat! I *WISH* I could go to this event! I want specifically to try the hot chocolate and the nipples of Venus. Not only do you get to eatalong to the film, you get a goodie bag at the end. How is this possible for £10??? I don't know so go and grab tickets before they change their minds! Not up north? There's a chance to get yourself into the London showing with Beas of Bloomsbury as well (no goodie bag and £15 but you know, London...)
Are you in London? Well, the amazing Alexeeva & Jones are having a meet the chocolatier evening. I'm not a fan of Åkesson chocolate but hey - everyone's tastes are different so discover it yourself or maybe learn how to make the world's best sea salt caramels and make some for me because I will *MASSIVELY* envy you!
Want to know more? Well, Chocolate Week has a whole website of stuff going on http://www.chocolateweek.co.uk/events and things happen all over the UK so pop over to the site and find something near you!