Sweet Spot: Islands Chocolate Launches Decadent Gifts in Fortnum & Mason and Liberty in Time for Christmas

Priding itself as a family-run company, Islands Chocolate stands out as one of the few chocolate brands with its own cocoa farms, located in the Caribbean. 

Embracing the spirit of ethical gifting, the company's employees not only earn considerably higher than the national living wage in St Vincent but also very considerably surpass the equivalent Fairtrade standard in Africa, from where most cocoa comes from.

Their chocolate is used in the kitchens of renowned chefs like Tom Kerridge, Phil Howard and Heston Blumenthal. The carefully crafted chocolate is designed to elevate both the art of baking and the joy of savouring each delectable bite.

Discover the perfect Christmas gift for the master baker or chocolate lover in your life with these beautifully designed 200g tins of heavenly delights:

75% Dark Chocolate - 200G

The 75% is the most versatile chocolate of the range, balancing a high cocoa percentage with well-rounded flavours. Aromas of jammy dried fruit and caramelised honey carry are accompanied with bursts of fresh citrus and ripe banana, notes of dark caramel and sweet spices with a warming finish. These are priced at £8.95.

55% Milk Chocolate - 200G

The 55% Dark Milk couples the sweet, creamy nostalgia of a milk chocolate with intensely flavourful St Vincent cocoa to curate a mature, versatile coating when used in baking. Aromas of toffee and malt develop further in the flavour, leading to an explosion of buttery caramel and rich creaminess, perfectly balanced by a light acidity and fruity banana notes. These are priced at £8.95.

37% White Chocolate Giant Button

Caribbean cocoa butter offers complex, chocolatey flavours and well balanced sweetness, combined with creamy whole milk and a hint of salt for a uniquely sophisticated white chocolate flavour. These are priced at £8.95.

55% Dark Flakes Hot Chocolate

The 55% Dark Flakes create an indulgent luxurious hot chocolate like no other. Notes of rich caramel and zesty orange are expertly complemented by deep cocoa flavours. This tin is specially crafted for the ultimate hot chocolate experience, available at Bayley & Sage, Real Eating Co and online. Launching early December These are priced at £8.95.

By buying a gift from Islands Chocolate this holiday season, you can not only bake with chocolate used by some of the UK's top chefs, you can make a stand against unethical practices in the cocoa supply chain. And these embossed, vibrantly coloured tins will look fantastic on your kitchen shelf!

Founder Wilf Marriott said: "Cheap, poor-quality chocolate tainted by slavery, child labour and deforestation is just not acceptable - people and our planet deserve better, especially this festive season. Islands Chocolate proudly leads the charge with a deliciously ethical alternative, with every bite telling a story of ethical indulgence.”

For more general information visit www.islandschocolate.com

Cocoba Chocolate introduces Fantastic Christmas gifting range

Cocoba, the Kent-based chocolate company which is renowned for producing irresistible chocolate and hot chocolate gifts, has launched this year’s very special Christmas gifting range.  

From a very cheery Santa & His Reindeer Chocolate Bites, to a beautifully presented Hot Chocolate Bombe Christmas Bauble and delicious Hot Chocolate Christmas Puddings, Cocoba’s Christmas gifting range really has something for everyone. 

Cocoba Chocolate has also created delicious, stunning Christmas Hampers crammed full of many delicious treats; you needn’t look further than Cocoba for a complete range of festive gifts to get everyone fully into the Christmas spirit.

Share some yuletide joy this Christmas with Cocoba’s Santa & His Reindeer Chocolate Bites at £9.95. Each box includes a sweet collection of bitesize festive characters, all handmade using high quality Belgian milk chocolate in the shape of Santa and his Reindeers. 

Presented in a beautiful selection box, the seasonal chocolate bites make a fun and loveable gift to bring out the child in everyone this Christmas season.

Discover the magical Hot Chocolate Bombe Christmas Bauble, which is an utterly fantastic festive tin bauble decorated with Cocoba Christmas characters, containing a Belgian hot chocolate bombe that has a generous helping of yummy fluffy marshmallows. A must-have addition for hanging on the Christmas tree or a great surprise to gift as a Secret Santa present or stocking filler for a very nifty £4.95.

Bursting with a generous helping of mini marshmallows, the delicious Christmas Pudding Hot Chocolate Bombe is handcrafted from silky Belgian milk and delicious white chocolate. At just £3.95 the Christmas Pudding Hot Chocolate Bombe makes a sweet surprise for stockings, Christmas Eve boxes, or for festive hampers to delight your family and friends. 

Finally, Cocoba has it all wrapped up with a collection of exquisite Christmas hampers starting out at £19.99.  Each hamper is carefully put together to display an array of delicious, yummy chocolate treats, fastened with a special hand-tied ribbon to add just that perfect finishing touch. 

Please visit Cocoba Chocolate’s website for more information including the lovely Christmas vegan product range. www.CocobaChocolate.com

Cocoba’s chocolate products include Belgian hot chocolate, chocolate bars and lollipops, truffles and buttons, and a growing range of vegan dark and ‘milk’ chocolate. 

Cocoba’s range is available from www.CocobaChocolate.com. But if you live in Kent, why not visit Cocoba’s flagship chocolate café at the Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent?

They are also available via independent farm shops, good delis, John Lewis, Selfridges and more, besides.  All products are handmade in Kent.

Incidentally, if you want a 10% deduction in the price you pay, please join their mailing list. Also, remember deliveries on orders over £35 are free, please check for details.

Check them out on socials:-

Instagram: @cocobachocolate

Facebook: @CocobaChocolate

Pinterest: @CocobaChocolate

TikTock: @cocobachocolate

Twitter: @CocobaChocolate

https://www.cocobachocolate.com

Flowers still top Valentine lists

The latest user survey conducted by dedicated money-saving website DiscountVouchers.co.uk has this week revealed that the majority of Britons still rate the top Valentine’s Day gift to be flowers.

DiscountVouchers.co.uk regularly surveys its site users and this week reveals that the leading Valentine's Day gift is flowers, with 40% of respondents picking this. Next in the poll results was jewellery with 34% while the poll also showed that 9% of people prefer not to give any gift at all Valentine's Day.

The top ten Valentine’s Day presents uncovered by the voucher codes website poll were: 1. Flowers. 2. Jewellery. 3. Nothing. 4. Chocolates. 5. Champagne. 6. Lingerie. 7. Teddy bear. 8. Simple card. 9. Perfume. 10. CD.

For more information visit www.discountvouchers.co.uk

Guylian for Christmas

Stuck for Christmas inspiration? Look no further than a delicious box of Guylian Chocolates from the world’s favourite Belgian chocolatier. Because almost everyone who likes chocolate will love Guylian.

And their Christmas range has something for everyone, and as Guylian is stocked throughout the high street, it’s easy to pick up a box of Guylian chocolates when you hit the shops this Christmas.

Guylian Belgium Classics

A selection of Guylian favourites – Original Seashells, La Trufflina and Opus. Pre packaged into a stylish and generous 540g gift box, they provide an excellent tabletop box for visitors to select from, but be warned – this tempting selection box won’t stay full for long!

Guylian Praline Seashells

Only the finest, hand selected Mediterranean hazelnuts are roasted and   caramelised, before being blended with premium Belgian chocolate to make this iconic and best selling box of Guylian chocolates. You’ll struggle to find anyone who won’t be delighted with a box of these come Christmas morning. Available in a variety of sizes from most major high street retailers, it’s easy to pick up a box at the last minute too. Available in a selection of sizes.

Guylian Seashells Selection

 This stunning combination of original and dark praline seashells are perfect for impressing discerning guests and relatives this Christmas. 

Guylian Opus

Opus is a selection of assorted Guylian chocolates masterpieces, each named after internationally renowned operas like Aida and Romeo and Juliet, and each with a different centre. Opus are also available in an already beautifully gift wrapped in a double layer, continental ballotin box with a luxurious ribbon that is the prefect ready-made gift-to-go. 

Guylian La Trufflina

A stunning combination of premium dark, milk and white chocolate Belgian truffles, La Trufflina is also available in a gift wrapped option for a luxurious last minute gift.  

Guylian’s Temptations

Guylian’s Temptations are a premium gift ideal for sharing. Individually wrapped finest Guylian chocolates in the iconic seahorse shape are available in a choice of the three most popular flavours; original praline, dark praline, and milk truffle. The packaging doubles up as a sharing box, but if you don’t like to share, Guylian’s Temp tations are also available in handy impulse packs for the ultimate in self indulgence this Christmas. RSP 

Stocking Fillers

Both Guylian’s Original and Extra Praline Seashells are also available in 65g mini gift boxes for the perfect stocking filler.

Available in all good supermarkets and chocalatiers, it's also available in some duty free shops so look out for them if you are going abroad for Christmas and need to pick up a good Chirstmas present at the airport or the terminal!

From You to me! A teddy to eat, a teddy to keep!

From You to Me have come up with the perfect Chirstmas gift this year: Two Tatty Teddy's in a box. One made from exquisite Belgian chocolate, the other a delightfully cuddly Tatty Teddy that you can keep for ever!

Both bears feature the special blue nose beloved of Tatty Teddy fans the world over and they come in a delightful presentation pack with an illustration of Tatty Teddy with a Christmas stocking! It's unbearably cute! (Sorry!)

The special presentation packs are priced at a modest £6.99 and are available from selected Morrison stores, nationwide.

It makes an ideal present for a mum, a daughter, a sister or a dear friend. It's certainly something that will be a beloved and treasured gift for many, many years to come. Because everyone loves Tatty Teddy!

Festive cheer from Guylian this Christmas

Christmas is all about enjoying time with family and friends. What better way to do this than with a box of Guylian chocolates? The world’s favourite Belgian chocolatier has something for everyone, and is certain to keep all the family happy. Available from all high street retailers, Guylian is a perfect accompaniment to your shopping basket this Christmas.

Guylian Praline Seashells
Only the finest hand selected Mediterranean hazelnuts are     roasted, caramelised and added to premium Belgian      chocolate to make this delicious and iconic box of Guylian chocolates. Available in a variety of sizes from most major high street retailers, it’s easy to pick up a box at the last minute and you will struggle to find anyone who is not delighted with a box of Seashells. Guylian Seashells are also available as a stocking filler (65g) and new for 2011 is the Guylian  Seahorse impulse pack (46g) from £1.

Luxury Belgian Collection

This luxurious gift box is a refined combination of Guylian Seahorses, Original Praliné, Opus Belgian Pralines and La Perlina Milk Truffle chocolates. Wrapped in a luxurious golden foil this elegant box with its dark brown chocolate ribbon makes it the perfect gift. The selection is available in a luxurious gift box ranging in size from 258g to 717g. RSP dependant on pack size.

Guylian Opus

Named after internationally renowned operas like Aida and Romeo and Juliet, Guylian’s Opus selection will surprise you with their different centres. Opus are also available in a beautifully gift wrapped double layered continental ballotin box with a luxurious ribbon, making it the prefect ready-made gift-to-go. RSP from £2.49 to £6.49.

La Trufflina

This visually stunning combination of premium dark, milk and white chocolate Belgian truffles; La Trufflina is hard to beat when looking for a gift this Christmas. La Trufflina is also available in a gift wrapped option for a luxurious last minute gift. RSP from £2.49 to £6.49.

La Perlina

Made from 74% dark or milk chocolate and filled with a velvety smooth milk truffle centre, Guylian’s 132g La Perlina box provides an intense chocolate sensation, guaranteed to appease chocolate lovers this Christmas. Available in a choice of milk or dark truffles. RSP £3.99.

Let Swizzels Matlow bring you the sweetest Christmas, ever!

Top UK sweet makers, Swizzels Matlow Ltd have introduced a new range of Chirstmas sweet treat stocking fillers.

Swizzels Matlow is as great a tradition as Fish and Chips, and probably with older roots, and their new range of gigantic and Christmas decorated tubes will be a great addition to anyone's stocking this Christmas. And they contain no artificial colours and are eminently suitable for vegetarians, too.

And if you have to buy Chirstmas confectionery for people who either do not like chocolate or who are allergic to chocolate, these gigantic tubes (they come filled with Love Hearts, Drumsticks or Refreshers) will comes as a real festive treat for them.

As Sarah-Louise Heslop, the marketing manager at Swizzels Matlow points out: "This exciting new Christmas range is the perfect stocking filler or gift for relatives or friends who you are stuck to buy something for. They provide a refreshing alternative to chocolate and are the first in a new range of Christmas products."

Swizzels Matlow is the UKs largest family-owned independent sugar confectioners and one of the very few firms still making sweets within the UK, so buying their sweets makes a lot of sense!

Also look out for their Rainbow Drops, Double Lollies, Fruity Pops, etc.

Handmade Chocolates from Choconchoc for Christmas

There's one sure fire way to the heart of a chocolate lover at Christmas (or any other time of the year, to be fair!) is to give them chocolates.

But not any old chocolates! Oh, no. For if you seek out the best in chocolate sensation, taste and look, you can be certain of one thing, that the recipient of your gift will love you (and the memory of their very special chocolate present) for ever!

One such crafter of highly delectable chocolate comestibles is Choconchoc.

From their special confectioners establishment nestled deep within the heart of rural Somerset, they design and produce some of the most exquisite chocolate treats known to man or woman.

Flo and Kerr. The chief chocolate makers choose only the finest of ingredients, such as the best quality Belgian chocolate, top quality milk and so on to ensure that whoever opens their box of Choconchoc chocolates will receive a treat not only for the mouth but also for the eyes.

Because not only are they highly desirable chocolates, they are also works of art in miniature. So much so that it is something of a struggle to begin eating them!

But don't just take our word for it! Visit www.choconchoc.co.uk to see precisely what we mean! Or give them a call on 01373 830013.