November has arrived and with it comes the start of all things festive and fun.
As the excitement of Christmas begins to slowly but surely arrive, coffee shops and cafes have launched their festive menus to get you in the Christmas spirit. From Toblerone hot chocolates to gingerbread lattes, there are so many to choose from this year.
We visited some of our favourite chains including Costa Coffee, Caffe Nero, Pret a Manger and more to give their festive drinks a try. Hopefully, this will make it easier for you to decide which one you just need to try.
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Whether you're a coffee drinker or more of a hot chocolate person, there's something for everyone. Here's our verdict on this year's festive drink from you favourite coffee chains:
Caffe Nero Salted Caramel Brownie Hot Chocolate
I’m not a coffee person - never have been, never will be. But I’m still a big lover of hot drinks so when I visit cafes or coffee shops I tend to order hot chocolate or my personal favourite, a chai latte.
This week I couldn’t resist trying Caffe Nero’s new festive menu - with one product sticking out from the crowd. I took a trip to my local Caffe Nero on Lord Street in Liverpool city centre and ordered its new Salted Caramel Brownie Hot Chocolate.
The hot chocolate comes topped with thick whipped cream, sprinkled with chunks of chocolate fudge brownie pieces. What more could you ask for? The drink was smooth and delightful, with an extra sweet twist thanks to the salted caramel syrup.
While I’m not usually a big fan of salted caramel, it actually enhanced this drink and allowed it to be festive and sweet without being sickly. The whipped cream was a delicious start to the experience but it was the tiny chunks of brownie that stole the show.
It’s the perfect drink for anyone with a sweet tooth - I’d definitely try it again.
Price: £4.25
Rating: 4/5
Where to buy: Find your nearest Caffe Nero here.
Pret A Manger Praline Latte
Pret is undoubtedly top tier when it comes to coffee and lunch break options, which you can tell just by the size of the queue come midday. This week I popped into the Old Hall Street Pret to try one of its festive drinks and ordered the Praline Latte as soon as I spotted it on the menu.
Praline is one of my favourite flavours at this time of year and I agreed to whipped cream and sprinkles to enjoy the drink in all its glory. The coffee was prepared quickly by the barista and came in a pretty paper cup given a festive makeover with Santa hats, holly and berries, gingerbread men and more.
The cream was piled high and covered in a generous dusting of chocolate powder. I picked up a spoon and when I tucked into the topping it tasted so rich and had an almost honeycomb flavour to it. It was so delicious it felt like I was having a dessert.
I'm not normally much of a latte lover because I find them too milky, so I was pleased that the coffee still had a strong taste, which cut through the sweetness of the drink to balance it out. It wasn't a ridiculous size either, and my only grumble was that the coffee could've been a bit hotter. It cooled quite rapidly, especially considering I drank it quite quickly too.
The overall richness of the drink meant it's not something I'd order every time, but as the odd treat in the run up to Christmas, I'd definitely recommend this option from Pret.
Price: £3.55
Rating: 4/5
Where to buy: Your local Pret store
Starbucks Gingerbread Latte
Starbucks is my go-to when it comes to coffee shops, so I was very excited to try the new festive menu. I opted for my favourite of the festive coffees, a gingerbread latte.
I paid a visit to the Old Hall Street branch and was quickly greeted with one of Starbucks' festive cups, which are suitably seasonal and perfect for getting in the Christmas spirit. After taking a sip, I was instantly struck by the delicious taste of the gingerbread syrup.
In my opinion, it is the perfect flavour for this time of year and adds a nice sweet addition to the coffee. The drink is topped with gingerbread flavour whipped cream and a crunchy wafer topping, a combination which really elevates the taste and makes it feel like more of a treat.
I'll definitely be ordering it again during the run up to Christmas and would highly recommend it.
Price: £3.55
Rating: 5/5
Where to buy: You can find your local Starbucks store here.
Costa Toblerone hot chocolate
I absolutely love this time of year because it means I can drink loads of hot chocolate and not get judged for it! I’m a big hot drink fan, and will basically drink anything other than green tea.
I was really excited to see that Costa had brought out a Toblerone flavour hot chocolate because I think Toblerone is so underrated. I took a trip to my local Costa and ordered a small one for £4.05.
I did think the price was pretty steep but I didn’t let that put me off, after all, it was covered in cream and sprinkles. I ate the chocolate first which left a lovely after taste of Toblerone in my mouth, and then it was time for the main event.
The hot chocolate tasted amazing, especially with the cream and light dairy swirl. I would say that it didn’t taste too much like Toblerone, and more like toffee, but it was still amazing nonetheless.
Price: £4.05
Rating: 4/5
Where to buy: Your local Costa
Hotel Chocolat hot chocolate
I'm one of those weird British people who doesn't like tea (I know, I know) or coffee, and I only started drinking hot chocolate in recent years.
After sampling the velvety chocolate delights of high street coffee shops, Hotel Chocolat is the best of the bunch, in my opinion. The brand's hot chocolate is sumptuous, creamy and impossibly rich, without being sickly.
Hotel Chocolat uses pieces of real grated chocolate in its vast array of beverages, which really makes a world of difference to the decadent taste. This time of year is my absolute favourite, and the colder weather offers the perfect excuse to indulge in a hot chocolate from Hotel Chocolat on a regular basis.
Quite frankly, no other hot chocolate compares. In fact, Hotel Chocolat has completely ruined all other hot drinks for me and if it's not a cup of its heavenly, smooth creations, then I'm just not interested. If you've not tried a hot chocolate from here, then I implore you to give it a go - you're missing out.
Price: varies, depending on size and flavour
Rating: 5/5 (I'd score higher if I could)
Where to buy: Your local Hotel Chocolat
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