Really lovely chocolates

[Pampy Profile]

Does anyone know if Leonidas chocolates are still made? I used to buy them when I lived in London and the Netherlands. They are (were) made in Belgium.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Leonidas are still around - they have a shop in the little mall at Liverpool Street station

[strictlysalsaclare Profile]

Mmm, maybe Leonidas were the ones I was thinking of when I mentioned Godiva. One of those companies used to have a small shop in Croydon IIRC.

Also, we bought a box of Choceur Mint Selection from Aldi this year. We have just started on then and they are rather nice. We've also got a couple of boxes of Polish chocs which are still in the cupboard at the moment. We are really looking forward to trying them. Once has vodka in, the other one a raisin and fondant creme filling.

[Pampy Profile]

It was the Croydon shop that I used to buy from - it was located in Allder's Mall.

[Joanbunting Profile]

There is a Leonodas shop in our local town - in fact in most French and of course Belgian ones.

I dislike their chocolates finding the chocolate itself waxy and the coverings are far too thick and chunky. The local chocolatier is much more skilled and his are all handmade.

I slways think of Leonodas the the Thorntons of Belgium.

[kavey Profile Website]

Rococco are great too, love their stuff.

The only other national chain I can think of is Thorntons and to be honest, they've really not retained the popularity they used to have, they just don't keep up with the changes in consumer taste and the more ready availability good quality chocolate. They had a new development chef in about a decade ago, who tried, but the very old and staid board constantly wanted to water down what he suggested and of course, it didn't work. They still sell, but I get the impression their loyal customer base is ageing and decreasing steadily...

[Joanbunting Profile]

GD is at boarding school , in her final years a studying really hard for her A levels. Every so often I send her a Hotel Choclate goody bag which she says is a life line. I am careful to send them randomly so she doesn't know when to expect them. In between we send silly cartoons and jokes !!

[Stokey Sue Profile]

No, I don't use Thorntons as much as I used to - the time when Thorntons Continental seemed glamorous has long gone.

I used to buy kids stuff there, for Halloween, Christmas and Easter as at least I knew it would be safe and taste good, unlike some supermarket offerings

But the last time I used them was after mum went into care just before Easter a few years ago, and I sent "the girls" who had been looking after her at home a big hamper (well, a cardboard box) of Easter goodies to share, went down well

I don't think they have shops but a big thing in delis seems to be Divine, which is fair trade and supposedly superior but I find it oversweet and a bit soapy.

We have a local chocolatier, her stuff is excellent, I recommend the Lemon Meringue filled chocolates which sound sickly but so are not I bought the girls at the hair salon some, two birds with one stone, they were pleased, and they recommend them to customers

[karadekoolaid Profile]

Curiously enough, I´m just reviewing the Introduction for a friend´s book on Cocoa - Cocoa across the world and, especially, the development of Cocoa in Venezuela. (NOTE: when I say cocoa, I mean "cacao" - the cocoa bean tree which produces, eventually, chocolate. I am NOT referring to Bournville´s
The cultivation and commercialization of cocoa has really taken off over here in the past 20 years. We´ve always had excellent cocoa beans, but for some reason, no-one really bothered too much when it came to refining specific strains of cocoa beans, and very few bothered making bonbons. That has all changed.
Nestlé was always here, and made some passable chocolate bars, There was also a big local company called " Chocolates El Rey" - which has now expanded, producing some glorious dark - and milk - chocolate. They export and win lots of prizes at International Fairs. The Franceschi family, from Carupano, (very close friends of mine) are also producing and exporting four varieties of delicious dark chocolate: Canoaba ( from Valencia) , Sur del Lago (from Maracaibo), Carenero ( from Miranda State, close to Caracas) and Rio Caribe, from Sucre, in the East of Venezuela.They´ve won lots of prizes. Arcay Chocolates ( again, two good friends) are exporting delicious bonbons and have, once again, won several awards.
A chef friend, Maria Fernanda di Giaccobe, won the Basque International Culinary Prize (100,000 Euros!) two years ago , for her tireless work promoting knowledge and production of local chocolates.
So, fortunately, we´re in a privileged chocolate atmosphere over here. No more grotty Hershey´s Kisses for me!

[Sakkarin Profile]

€100,000?

That's nearly two Booker prizes!

[karadekoolaid Profile]

€100,000?

That's nearly two Booker prizes!

: Yep - she´s using the money to develop chocolate all over Venezuela.