Is it time for champagne? I think it might be. I always used to get excited by Charbonnel et Walker’s Marc de Champagne truffles, £16/135g, which were part pudding, part chocolate. But London Chocolates’ champagne truffles are a new favourite with smarter, for me, credentials: single-origin Tanzanian cocoa, Taittinger champagne and a bit of cognac, all in Jersey cream, £18/250g. A beautiful, clean snap to the dark chocolate with a sensational centre. Very grown up.
Pump Street’s new 44% single-farm Togo Swiss Milk, £6.25/70g, is a gold-star bar, which has become my new favourite from Pump Street (which I think of as my local chocolatiers since we are both in Suffolk). With beans from Togo, the first time Pump Street has used cocoa beans from Africa, and from a small co-operative of 100 smallholders. It’s got that lovely, creamy, treaty milk chocolate taste that we all need in February.
Lastly, Palm Chocolate are all date/nut-based, with no refined sugar. Ideal if your new year’s resolutions are going strong, but also if you just sometimes like, as I do, a little box of chocolates that has more wholesome ingredients. I tried both the Restore and Balance boxes, £12 each, with six bonbons a piece (listen: I take my research seriously) and absolutely loved them. It’s super dark chocolate (100% Madagascan) around squidgy dates, with added ingredients, including nuts, tahini, seeds and spices.
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