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My Salon du Chocolat week in Paris
November 5, 2013
It's that time of year again in the city of love. Chocolate love.
Last week saw me in Paris, another week of full chocolate immersion, but this time with a French accent. This year the Salon du Chocolat had expanded, not only housing the professional show, which is only once every two years, but also giving over an entire new hall to patisserie. It was also the host to the finals of The World Chocolate Masters, a jaw dropping display of international technical mastery. I managed to squeeze...
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Chocolate Week 2013
October 22, 2013
A whole week devoted to chocolate, what's not to like!
Last week was my favourite week of the year. It was Chocolate Week! This year it was extra special, because the first Salon du Chocolat London took place over the Friday, Saturday and Sunday. For me it was extra busy as it was the world finals of The International Chocolate Awards 2013. As a member of the Grand Jury I spent the week judging all the regional award winners and finalists, before the final announcements...
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Kate Johns – Putting Chocolate firmly on the UK agenda.
October 8, 2013
I met up with the fine chocolate advocate to talk about some exciting news!
You may not have heard of Kate Johns, but if you have heard of Chocolate Week, Chocolate Unwrapped or The International Chocolate Awards you have heard of her work. Kate founded the nationwide celebration that is Chocolate Week ten years ago, and added the fine chocolate exhibition Chocolate Unwrapped three years ago. 2012 saw the first International Chocolate Awards, which she co-founded with world-renowned chocolate expert Martin Christy. So if you care about chocolate it would...
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The Cake & Bake Show – London 2013
September 24, 2013
I wouldn't have missed this cake extravaganza!
Wending my way through the crowds at Earl’s Court, pulled towards one delicious confection or fabulous creation after another, I reflected that it is hard to believe that this year the Cake & Bake show was only in its second year. This grand and full immersion in all the bakery and cakery imaginable is so successful, with over 30,000 visitors in just three days, that it has the must-visit status of other hot ticket events...
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Ruth Hinks – UK Chocolate Master
September 10, 2013
A look at the World Chocolate Masters and the exceptional woman preparing to fly the UK flag at the upcoming final.
For a small elite of chocolatiers the World Chocolate Masters is a public demonstration of awe inspiring technical prowess. It is a competition that pits the reigning Chocolate Master from each of twenty countries against each other in a three-day final of intense and extraordinarily demanding tasks. Each final, which takes place once every two years, always has a theme. For this fifth Masters final in 2013 that theme is “Architecture of Taste”, and the...
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Eric Lanlard – Chocolat
August 27, 2013
It is no accident that Eric’s new book focuses on my favourite ingredient.
Eric Lanlard, London’s adopted son and Brittany born patissier, is a leading light in the UK baking scene who pulls in the crowds for every television or live appearance he makes. He might not be the obvious choice for a piece on chocolatecouverture. But trust me, this is not just my excuse for a chance to hang out with Eric, as utterly delightful as that proved to be. (And he is wonderful company, handsome and...
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Fresco – Prototype Chocolate
August 13, 2013
A great North American bean to bar chocolate maker.
One of the joys of the current fine chocolate scene is a increase not only in interest, but also in the number of chocolate makers springing up all around the world. This too presents me with one of the frustrations, as even while I do get to taste many of fabulous things, at fairs, while judging, it isn’t always easy to source small makers operating across the seas. There are dedicated chocolate lovers setting the retail...
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Masters of French Chocolate – Patrick Roger
July 30, 2013
Today finds me back on the Eurostar, so an appropriate time to bring you another of my top Paris picks.
Patrick Roger’s chocolate is hard to miss in Paris. He has six boutiques in the city, all of which have serious curb appeal. I love the stainless steel and glossy eau de nil. It makes a change from chocolate brown, and is a great backdrop to the undeniable beauty of his chocolates. The boutiques also play host to the astonishing works of sculpture in chocolate to which M Roger treats his customers. The displays are...
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Cat Black
I am a food writer, with special interest in, and huge enthusiasm for, chocolate! This blog is where I get to tell you about all the wonderful tastes, events, and people I come across in the world of chocolate.
Desert Island Chocolate
I ask the great and the good which chocolate they couldn’t possibly live without…
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‘Definitely some cacao beans because I love eating them. I’ll take a marble slab and some tools with me to be able to make chocolate on the island. And I think I would take some of my lemon chocolates and an 88% Tenor.’
Marieke
Chocolate maker Zartpralinen
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“Well obviously it would be Green & Blacks, probably Maya Gold. Every time I go back to it I think it is genius.”
Jo Fairley
Founder – Green & Blacks
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“I love the single origin, the Madifirolo, the one from Cocoa Barry. I love it for its fruity, passion fruit and citrus flavour.”
Mark Tilling
Chocolate Master, Bake Off Creme Winner
Things I'm loving
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Friis Holm’s fermentation experimentations.
This new tasting pack combines four of the most interesting and delicious bars around.
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The Winchester Cocoa Company’s lapsang & kampot bar
A punchy bar combines spice and smoke with a fruity A. Morin chocolate.
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‘Cult’ cake from Clement Chococult
This is rich yet delicate, dark chocolate, walnut and orange heaven from Germany’s Clement Chococult.
- More Things I'm loving »