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December 16, 2008 - A new study out the Faculty of Life Sciences (LIFE) at the University of Copenhagen
shows that dark chocolate is far more filling than milk chocolate, lessening our craving for sweet, salty and
fatty foods. This leads to some interesting dieting concepts. Bayla Sussman plans to open Baylee's Best
Chocolates at West Village, a retail center in Southwest Roanoke County, Virginia. She started making
chocolate in 1996 and her business has steadily grown. She and her husband are investing around
$100,000 in the project and will have a 765 square foot space.
December 09, 2008 - If you happen to be in Italy this week you definitely want to take a look at the Christmas
Food Festival Macerata Feltria, in the central part of the country. Artist, Angelo Feduzzi, molded 17,600 pounds
of chocolate into a 35 foot replica of St Stephen’s Tower, more commonly known as Big Ben. At the end of the
week the tower will be dismantled and the chocolate given out for eating.
December 05, 2008 - The New York Times has a nice recipe for Whiskey-Soaked Dark Chocolate Bundt
Cake. The Cake looks like a nice addition to any hosts holiday arsenal. Barry Callebaut has produced a
"tooth friendly" chocolate. In fact the chocolate has been awarded the "Happy Tooth" seal by Toothfriendly
International, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving dental health. The chocolate is made by
modifying the production process by replacing the milk powder with milk proteins. Two Belgian chocolate
makers have brought products to market using the chocolate, Daskalidès which makes chocolate bars with
praliné filling and Chocolaterie Smet which produces Hopla chocolate figurines. Chocolate Graphics has
released a limited edition run of Barack Obama chocolate. You can take a look here. While chocolate sales
are starting to stagnate in more developed markets, Europe, North America etc., they are continuing to grow
in other markets. Barry Callebaut has announced a desire to enter the Brazilian market. The firm's Chief
Executive Officer Patrick De Maeseneire in an interview stated they would like to either enter an alliance with
another firm or build their own plant.
December 03, 2008 - If you happen to be in the city later on tonight, Wednesday, you might want to check out
the Chocolate Meet Up group which is holding a special event at Village Pour House, 64 3rd Avenue, Lower
East Side, Manhattan. Ten dollars gets you in, which includes a chocolate cocktail. There will be a handful of
local chocolatiers selling their wares and it's organized by Kamini Reddy an old hand at both chocolate and
organizing special events. The event runs from 6 - 8 pm.
December 01, 2008 - Even though raw cocoa prices dipped a bit last month they are up 33% on the year.
Chocolate manufacturers have long claimed chocolate is recession proof and it looks like they are correct as
there has been no abatement in demand. This coupled with turmoil in the Ivory Coast has kept futures trading
high. The Chocolate Show has moved on to Moscow and this site has some neat video of the fashion show.
The Central New York Wine and Chocolate Festival was held at the State Fairgrounds on Saturday. This site
has a good video report of the event. A good article from Forbes Traveler about chocolate around the world.
The author touches on Belgium, Italy and the California chocolate scene. The annual Cacao show at
Centrepoint, a shopping mall in Orchard Road, Singapore is the home right now to a 7.27 meters tall
chocolate sculpture. The builders hope the structure will set a world record, it's already been certified as
Singapore record setter. In the United Kingdom For those who have lost teeth it can be a very difficult time to deal with. There are however now many workable solutions to this affliction, including teeth implants which can really improve functionality and aesthetics.Tesco has recalled certain batches of its Continental Plain
Chocolate 74% Cocoa because the product contains milk protein which was not mentioned on the label. The
Oregonian sent reporter Sara Bir on a mission to sample and rate commercially available cooking chocolate.
You can read her conclusions here.
November 28, 2008 - Whole Foods is recalling some chocolate bars manufactured in Switzerland in
confusion over labeling. While labels commonly list allergens the confusion comes from the precise labeling
needed for the possibility that the product involved could have been exposed to other food allergens. For
example a product made on equipment that was previously used to manufacture a product with allergens
may contain trace elements of that allergen. Whole Foods had a situation where a child was exposed to a
food allergen after consuming a chocolate bar that was labeled stating that "good manufacturing practices"
were "used to segregate" the bars from potential allergens. Most labeling we've seen includes statements
such as machinery used may have also made products with allergens etc. Over one million chocolate bars
were recalled by Whole Foods while the labeling issue is resolved. Nestle has cut back its marketing
expenditures on its Heaven chocolate. The chocolate made in Switzerland was to appeal to young women
and early marketing was built around the proposition that chocolate is more important than men. Spending
has been cut around 90% as the brand struggles to find a place in the market. It looks like Vosges Haut
Chocolat has a hit in the United Kingdom. They shipped to Selfiridges in London their Mo's Bacon Bar and it
sold out in 48 hours. Selfridges has reordered and is hoping to get a resupply in time for the Christmas gift
giving season. Emeril Lagasse is offering up a recipe for rich chocolate pecan pie in time for the holidays.
Frank Oynhausen of Duisburg, Germany has started manufacturing "Sweet Lord", a foil wrapped chocolate
Jesus. Local Protestant and Catholic Churches are not amused and feel he is ruining the symbolism
involved in representations of Jesus. Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell, Jr in
Connecticut is advising consumers not to eat Topaz Wafer Rolls with Hazlenut Chocolate-Flavored Cream
Filling. They have been tested and found to contain an unsafe level of melamine. They were produced in
China. Baby Boomers Cafe of Des Moines, Iowa has seen an increase in the amount of chocolate chip
cookies they've been selling since the cookies got an endorsement of sorts. During the caucus season
Michelle Obama and her daughters would frequent the shop and loved the cookies. As word spread so did
the demand and the Cafe is now selling about 1,000 cookies a week up from the 400 they were selling
before word leaked out about the first families fondness for them.
November 24, 2008 - Singapore authorities have ordered a recall of the Cadbury Boost Totally Nuts (60g)
Bar. Some of the bars may contain pieces of plastic that got in during the manufacturing process in Australia.
Lindt & Spruengli AG has claimed in the European Union's highest court that their trademark to the gold foil
wrapped Easter bunny was gained fairly and therefore they would like the firm Franz Hauswirth GmbH to stop
selling chocolate foil covered bunnies in Austria. Hauswirth has been marketing bunnies since 1960. We
here at eChocolateNYC were not aware of how large the chocolate scene was in Indianapolis, Indiana until
reading this article. Firms in the city include Endangered Species, we've had their bars from Whole Foods,
Petite Chou Café, Ganache Chocolatier, The Best Chocolate in Town and Bijoux Chocolat among others.
Hats off to the BBC with an interesting article and interview for all chocoholics. In a series of dream jobs for
children they interview and explain the working of the job of Darren Williams , the 43 year old confectionary
buyer for the high end Piccadilly department store Fortnum and Mason. He samples all sorts of sweets and
has to come to conclusions as to what will fit the company's needs at the moment. Deborah Markus of
Bellaonline has an interesting article about her search for the ingredients to make vegan s'mores. That's right
no eggs in the marshmallows, no milk in the chocolate etc.
November 18, 2008 - Cocoa prices went spiraling upwards in the last week as buyers looked to take
advantage of cocoa prices which had trended downwards recently.
November 13, 2008 - If you happen to live in the United Kingdom the Times has a great contest for the
chocolate lover. You can win a years supply, a one year free membership in the tasting club, of Hotel
Chocolat. Kraft Foods, Romania, will be closing their factory in Transylvania. The factory produces two
chocolate brands, Poiana and Africana. Kraft had taken over the factory, built in 1903 and Romania's oldest,
in 1994. The brands will continue to be produced just no longer in Romania. 440 workers will be laid off by
the end of 2009. Just in time for the holidays the New York Times is running a recipe for Chocolate Pumpkin
Layer Cake. Straight teeth are all the rage and all the stars know it so ask your dentist about braces and learn how easy it could be to transform your smile.We'll be trying this recipe out in the next week or so. It's from Francois Payard, borrowed from
his brother Charlie. It reads and looks so simple but yet sounds so good. In such rough economic times,
especially in chocolate with the volatile price swings in the price of raw cocoa and rising energy costs, Barry
Callebaut has been able to report a 66.5% increase in net profits over last years. The company has expanded
into new markets and raised prices when cocoa went up but has lowered them since cocoa has gone down
which probably has helped their margins. Vosges Haut - Chocolat has a new product for those who like it
hot, we do. The item is Red Fire Toffee and includes ancho & chipotle chilllies, Ceylon cinnamon, sweet
butter toffee, dark chocolate and Red Fire Pecans.
November 10, 2008 - We here at eChocolateNYC are suckers for this sort of thing. We've already printed
customized stamps and now M&Ms has a deal where you can print pictures on M&Ms. That's right, the family
dog or kids or where ever your imagination takes you. The only problem we see is how do you resist eating
them? If you're in Southern Colorado the last weekend of November you might want to take a break from all
that hard holiday shopping and check out the Nineteenth Annual Chocolate Festival on Fri., Nov. 28, and Sat.,
Nov. 29 in Creede. For only $10 you get to work your way through the town and sample chocolate produced by
its merchants and others. At the end you get to vote on your favorites. The ABC affiliate in Chicago has a nice
piece of video on line featuring Vosges Haut Chocolat and the company's owner Katrina Markoff. In the
interview she explains her firms commitment to going green and its foray into the organic market. Vosges
has two locations here in the city one on Spring Street in Soho and the other on Madison Avenue and 83rd
Street. Some pretty good footage of the New York Chocolate Show from NY1. Gail Ambrosius brought her
bar from Madison, Wisconsin to compete in the Next Generation Chocolatier competition in New York City on
Nov. 5. Her bar, Three Hot Nuts Bar, was a winner. The bar is composed of pumpkin seeds, pine nuts and
pistachio nuts. She sells the bars at her shop, 2086 Atwood Ave., Madison, Wisconsin. The Gothamist has
some great photos of The Chocolate Shows kick off charity fashion show. Hellertown, Pennsylvania is the
home of Dolce Patisserie. The shop is the workplace of Pastry Chef Alan Pitotti. Pitotti crafts his chocolates by
hand and is a graduate of Culinary Institute of America's pastry program.
November 06, 2008 - Paula Deen has a recipe out for German Chocolate Cake Bars. The recipe looks quite
promising. Oh no we like to think that chocolate and chocolate lovers are never wrong but a poll of Finney's
Chocolate Shoppe in Cambridge Springs chocolate eaters found that John Mc Cain was slated to win the
election. Each participant received a chocolate shaped like the state of Pennsylvania after voting. Prime
Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko has announced she enjoys Belgian chocolates and that she would
welcome investment in her country from Belgian chocolate manufacturers. The Sofitel Hotel chain has
announced a end of the year chocolate special. Hotel branches will be offering three day packages with an
emphasis on chocolate. Entrees at meal time will include such items as chocolate duck. In the United
Kingdom Lucky Dip has recalled some of its Halloween and Christmas products as they have been found to
contain melamine. The affected products are manufactured in Zhongshan, China, by Le Bang Chocolate
Food Company. César and Magdalena Dahua grow cacao, as well as other crops on their farm on the Napo
River in Ecuador. For years they sold their crop for a pittance but now partake in a cooperative that is
marketing their beans. They are now producing Kallari Bars which are sold at Whole Foods as well as other
locations. The New York Times has a tremendous article about how this all took place. The 2008 Cadbury
Chocolate Couture Collection Fashion Show: A World of Chocolate is the title of a Press Release posted on
line. Ten top designers from Canada were given the challenge of producing couture using Cadbury as a
starting point.
October 31, 2008 - AFP has an interesting piece originating form the Paris Chocolate Show. Most of the
article is on the state of the current market, demand for darker and fair trade chocolate etc. There is also a
part on different thing s being done to entice buyers with new and different chocolate. Of most interest to us
here at eChocolateNYC is " Belgium's Dominique Persoone, whose Bruges workshop in the Flemish-
speaking part of the country has produced chocolates flavoured with cauliflower, basil, dried tomato jam,
black olives and even chocolate biscuits encrusted with chicken-skin. ". More melamine wows for the
Chinese chocolate market. Police in Thailand have discovered a cache of smuggled in Orphic Brand
Chocolate with fourteen times the allowable level of melamine. ITN has a nice video clip with some
interviews from the Paris Chocolate Show. There is confusion about the recall of chocolate coins
manufactured by the Sherwood Brands Company. The coins are Pirate's Gold brand and have been recalled
from Costco stores in Canada. They have not yet been currently recalled in the United States, the company
claims they were made from different chocolate and have been tasted for safety. Reuters has a nice article
about the Paris Chocolate Show. File this one away under it always pays to read the labels on your food. In
2006 Hershey recalled chocolate bars produced in their Smith's Falls factory after the factory showed some
exposure to salmonella. The recalled bars were destroyed but it is believed some of the product that was
slated for destruction ended up being stolen. Five different stores in the Toronto area were found selling the
bars recently and 640 bars have been confiscated. Hershey bars usually have an expiration date about a year
off so these bars should have expired and no cautious consumer should have eaten them. So far there have
been no reports of illness from chocolate from this batch.
October 29, 2008 - Cadbury has stumbled in a little bit of controversery as they are a sponsor of the 2012
Olympics in London. It seems a bit silly to us, health advocates feel that by allowing a company that sells
"unhealthy food" a platform like the Olympics, children will consume more "unhealthy food". We do believe
that handled properly the campaign will probably encourage consumers to purchase more Cadbury products
and less from other manufacturers. M&M is teaming up with Martha Stewart to create a bunch of holiday craft
and chocolate fun ideas. They are also running a promotion where they give you a free bag of Martha Stewart
inspired Christmas M&Ms if you purchase some personalized product. The Sweets Middle East trade show
to be held in Dubai next week will give European confectioners the opportunity to expose their products to the
Middle east markets. Their will be 180 exhibitors at the show. Last years Sweets show in Dubai drew over
3,500 visitors. With cocoa prices taking a 20% + drop in the last month confectioners are finally getting
some relief. It will be interesting to see if some of the price hikes of the last few months will be rolled back
with dropping commodity prices. Barry Callebaut is forging ahead in its sustainability efforts. Once just a
talking point more companies in agriculture are making efforts to increase what they do in this field. Callebaut
recently planted 250,000 trees in Tanzania as well as pushing along projects in the Ivory Coast. A
symposium is currently being held in Ghana that is bringing together the Ashanti King, government officials,
scientists and farmer's representatives which is hoping to draft a plan for cocoa sustainability.
Representatives from Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Liberia and Togo will meet with scientists,
World Bank officials, representatives from the World Cocoa Foundation, the World Agroforestry Centre and
other organizations. The meeting is being organized by Mars. Growers in the Ivory Coast are engaging in a
sparodic strike, demanding more for their crop. According to Bloomberg News cocoa is still shipping out of
the country although some trucks have been stopped on the roads by strikers. A few days back we reported
on Hershey's legal action against a Michigan moving firm Art Vans for artwork that was suggestive of a
Hershey bar on the side of their trucks. A judge has ruled in Hershey's favor and ordered Art Vans to remove
the signage from their vehicles. Art Vans had claimed the signage was covered under parody law but the
judge disagreed.
October 26, 2008 - The Moonstruck Chocolate Co. has scaled back its operation and has resumed being a
regional based company. Shedding nine of its shops in markets as diverse as California, Illinois,
Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey and Virginia they can now focus on their core market, Portland,
Oregon. The company had hoped that closer proximity to other markets would allow local distributors to
market their products but it never worked out the way the company hoped. We've sampled Moonstruck's
wares and they are quite tasty. We wish the company well in the future. The UAE was the birthplace for a new
chocolate that uses a regional staple. That's right camel milk chocolate. The treat was unveiled recently and it
sounds like it was well received. Ignoring the recent downturn in the world's economy Nestle is partnering
with Pierre Marcolini to offer high end chocolates in their Nespresso shops. The chocolates will debut in
Nespresso shops in Switzerland and Paris. Harry and David are recalling some packages of Moose Munch
Confection, Milk Chocolate. Some of the packages may contain pecans even though they are not labeled as
such.
October 22, 2008 - In the latest in melamine tainted chocolate news The British Food Standards Agency
(FSA) said melamine had been found in Chinese-made "I Love You" sets, sold at Ann Summers sex shops.
The chocolate flavored body spreads, or as the British government's website calls them, 'willy spread' -
chocolate-flavoured or otherwise," are consumed so could be dangerous. The United Kingdom's Advertising
Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled that Mars misled consumers when they ran advertisements implying that
its Maltesers product was a low-calorie snack. In the ad it's pointed out that one Malteser has less than 11
calories which isn't alot. The dispute centered around the country's description of a low energy food in
advertising which Maltesers have 12 times as much. Mars claimed that they were just making a factual
statement not claiming the food was actually a low calorie product. A Michigan furniture store has found
themselves squaring off in court with Hershey over the design of signage that was to be painted on the sides
of their trucks. The company showed a bunch of designs on their website and asked customers to vote on
their favorite. The design looked like an unopened Hershey bar labeled Art Van. Hershey went to court fearing
that the design would cause confusion among consumers. Art Van has changed the color from the original
obvios Hershey brown to red.
October 19, 2008 - Deborah Markus of Bellaonline has an interesting post about possible chocolate
allergies. Fortuantely chocolate allergies are rare but they do occur. She explains the difference between an
intolerance and an allergy. Once again Hershey has done a nice job with a seasonal website. Their 2008
Christmas website is full of recipes, crafts and other ideas to make the holiday's a little more fun. Some of
their gift items are nice to. We're partial to the bags of kisses labeled "naughty" and "nice". Just a cute way to
say Merry Christmas to a coworker. Resveratrol, a compound in red wine and grape juice, is also found in
dark chocolate and cocoa according to a new report released by Hershey's Center for Health and Nutrition.
The report claims resveratrol is found in dark chocolate second only to red wine. The CEO of Divine
Chocolate, Erin E. Gorman, addressed a crowd at Harvard University October 16th. The event was co-
sponsored by the Harvard College Africa Business and Investment Club (HCABIC) and the Harvard-Radcliffe
Catholic Student Association. Ms. Gorman explained how her company's fair trade policies were a win win
situation. The consumer gets a great tasting product and the consumer knows that they are getting a product
where the labor hasn't been exploited. The Philadelphia Inquirer has a nice article about an Austrian reporter
who takes her first trip to Hershey, Pennsylyvania. Although she comes from a country with a fine chocolate
tradition she enjoys her stay in Hershey.
October 15, 2008 - Chocolate Week is upon us once again. London is the place to be until October 19th. It's
best just to check the official site for more details but here is a partial list of participants. Artisan du Chocolat,
Auberge du Chocolat, Cocoa Loco, Rococo, Melt and Hotel Chocolat. There are dozens of more participants
and events galore. Barry Callebaut is forging ahead with its plans to increase its focus in the quality
chocolate field. The company is opening its third Centre of Excellence in Europe. The location will be Dijon,
France and will join centres in Louviers, France and Wieze, Belgium. The new centre will concentrate on
research into chocolate compounds and fillings. Josef Zotter's, "Chocolate Factory", Schokoladen
Manufaktur , is located in the mountains of Austria. The factory has 100 employees and produces fair trade,
organic chocolate. Since opening in August, 2007 the factory has had 150,000 visitors. The Independent of
London has an interesting recipe for converting a chunk of chocolate into a slab of chocolate with lightly
roasted whole hazelnuts. The recipe comes from Guido Gobino's chocolate shop. We here at
eChocolateNYC must be a little naive at times. We reported on Mars opening of their plant, the $70 million
Dove Chocolate Center of Excellence, in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania. According to an article in the San Francisco
Chronicle this has to all be taken within the broader context of Mars/Hershey competition. The Dove Center is
now open in the heart of Hershey country. Mars is also expanding US operations at a time when Hershey is
closing factories in the USA and Canada. Kroger Value Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips are undergoing a
recall. Some of them have undeclared milk proteins. The Independent of London also has an interesting
article about the 10th Anniversary of Day Chocolate Company , makers of the Divine Chocolate Bar, the fair
trade firm. The partnership of the Kuapa Kokoo co-operative has enabled many farmers to get a better price
for their cocoa beans. Stafford DeCambra, the corporate executive chef at PCI Gaming in Atmore, Ala., is
hitting the road and taking his chocolate creations with him to Erfurt, Germany, where he will compete in the
22nd IKA Culinary Olympics. The piece he is entering is of three hula dancers. The picture looks great.
October 08, 2008 - A new report from Credit Suisse postulates that confectioners may find some relief from
spiraling commodity prices in 2009. Not only has the price of oil dropped but so has the price of edible oils,
grain, dairy and cocoa. Research from the Mars Company has proposed that cocoa should be reclassified
into ten distinct genetic sets. This would lead to better cross breeding and then in turn would lead to less of
each new crop dying from disease. Hotel Chocolat, one of our advertisers , has a pretty good promotion
running through the end of November. Purchase around $100 in chocolate, get a nice box free. Just click on
any of their ads on our site for more details. New organic sweets product launches increased 600% in
Europe from 2006 to 2008. The explosion in demand and in manufacturers developing of new products
shows how large the organic market has become. It seems just a few years back only a handful of
companies were making organic chocolate now it is everywhere. Even with the economic slowdown
Bloomberg reports that the wholesale price of cocoa has gone up. Adding inventory before the holidays and
investors looking to park money they've taken out of the world's stock markets are the two reasons cited for
the increases. South Korea has not found chocolate laced with melamine on it's store shelves. The Korea
Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) has found both M&Ms and Snickers with unsafe levels. Nestle Kit Kat
bars were also found to have unacceptable levels. The products have been taken off the shelves. Rocky
Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc. will be hosting its Second Quarter Investor Conference Call on Thursday,
October 9, 2008. The call will take place at 4:15 PM EST. The Dubai World Trade Centre has issued a report
stating that growing demand in new markets for cocoa based products has helped buttress the confectionery
industry in tough economic times.
October 01, 2008 - Athena partners, the makers of Athena bottled water, has started a premium chocolate
line, Athena Chocolates. One hundred percent of profits from the chocolate will support breast cancer
research and eduction. The chocolates are being supplied by Dilettante Chocolates. If you're in the greater
Los Angeles area on Sunday, October 5th, you might want to hit the Pasadena Center for TasteTV's 2nd
Annual Luxury Chocolate Salon. The exhibitor list looks great and includes Mignon Chocolate, Chocolate All
the Time, Sacred Chocolate, Arlene's Gourmet Toffee, Valerie Confections, Jade Chocolates, Malibu Toffee,
Guittard Chocolate Company, Marti Chocolatt, The Chocolate Traveler, Poco Dolce, Amano Artisan Chocolate,
San Francisco Toffee Company, Choclatique, Chuao Chocolatier, the TeaRoom chocolates, Cosmic
Chocolate, Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory, Plush Puffs Gourmet Marshmallows, Rushburn Toffee
Company, Downey's Chocolates, The Chocolate Basket, Christopher Michael Artisan Chocolates, DOVE
Chocolate Discoveries, Calcareous Vineyards, Vermeer Dutch Chocolate Cream Liqueur, Nespresso
gourmet coffee, and more. In Scotland, in the Highlands, in an abandoned Royal Air Force base, two
Scottish university graduates are producing high quality chocolates that are attracting a world wide clientele.
The company, Cocoa Mountain, was started two years ago and is now shipping all over the world and have
US Senators and Prince Charles as customers. The European Union has barred the import of chocolate
products from China as the Chinese government struggles to deal with the growing contamination scandal.
With over 50,000 ill children and at least 4 dead from dairy products laced with melamine China is losing
market share as more places block the import of Chinese dairy products. And the beat goes on. Cadbury
has announced the recall of 11 types of Chinese-made chocolates after tests found they contained the
industrial chemical melamine. The products were made at its factory in Beijing which and are distributed in
Taiwan, Hong Kong and Australia. Dove Chocolate (Mars), has expanded its plant in Elizabethtown,
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The two year expansion cost $70,000,000. Warrnambool, Australia, has a
7 day chocolate festival going on. Forty Five local businesses have combined to offer different chocolate
themed events, tastings, hunts etc. to create a fun atmosphere. The Seattlest, has a nice piece about some
of the better hot chocolate available in Seattle, Washington. Mars, the makers of Dove, Three Musketeers,
etc. has announced that as a firm they are committed to producing 100% cocoa butter based chocolate. You
can see a video presentation here. Vosges Haut - Chocolat has reintroduced their Zion collection. The
collection is inspired by the Rastafari movement in Jamaica. The chocolates use ingredients such as Blue
Mountain Coffee and Jamaican Sorrel. Hotel Chocolat has reintroduced their Tasting Club which is a pretty
good deal, especially if you're located in the United Kingdom. Their ad is somewhere on this page, just click
on it and check out their website.
shows that dark chocolate is far more filling than milk chocolate, lessening our craving for sweet, salty and
fatty foods. This leads to some interesting dieting concepts. Bayla Sussman plans to open Baylee's Best
Chocolates at West Village, a retail center in Southwest Roanoke County, Virginia. She started making
chocolate in 1996 and her business has steadily grown. She and her husband are investing around
$100,000 in the project and will have a 765 square foot space.
December 09, 2008 - If you happen to be in Italy this week you definitely want to take a look at the Christmas
Food Festival Macerata Feltria, in the central part of the country. Artist, Angelo Feduzzi, molded 17,600 pounds
of chocolate into a 35 foot replica of St Stephen’s Tower, more commonly known as Big Ben. At the end of the
week the tower will be dismantled and the chocolate given out for eating.
December 05, 2008 - The New York Times has a nice recipe for Whiskey-Soaked Dark Chocolate Bundt
Cake. The Cake looks like a nice addition to any hosts holiday arsenal. Barry Callebaut has produced a
"tooth friendly" chocolate. In fact the chocolate has been awarded the "Happy Tooth" seal by Toothfriendly
International, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving dental health. The chocolate is made by
modifying the production process by replacing the milk powder with milk proteins. Two Belgian chocolate
makers have brought products to market using the chocolate, Daskalidès which makes chocolate bars with
praliné filling and Chocolaterie Smet which produces Hopla chocolate figurines. Chocolate Graphics has
released a limited edition run of Barack Obama chocolate. You can take a look here. While chocolate sales
are starting to stagnate in more developed markets, Europe, North America etc., they are continuing to grow
in other markets. Barry Callebaut has announced a desire to enter the Brazilian market. The firm's Chief
Executive Officer Patrick De Maeseneire in an interview stated they would like to either enter an alliance with
another firm or build their own plant.
December 03, 2008 - If you happen to be in the city later on tonight, Wednesday, you might want to check out
the Chocolate Meet Up group which is holding a special event at Village Pour House, 64 3rd Avenue, Lower
East Side, Manhattan. Ten dollars gets you in, which includes a chocolate cocktail. There will be a handful of
local chocolatiers selling their wares and it's organized by Kamini Reddy an old hand at both chocolate and
organizing special events. The event runs from 6 - 8 pm.
December 01, 2008 - Even though raw cocoa prices dipped a bit last month they are up 33% on the year.
Chocolate manufacturers have long claimed chocolate is recession proof and it looks like they are correct as
there has been no abatement in demand. This coupled with turmoil in the Ivory Coast has kept futures trading
high. The Chocolate Show has moved on to Moscow and this site has some neat video of the fashion show.
The Central New York Wine and Chocolate Festival was held at the State Fairgrounds on Saturday. This site
has a good video report of the event. A good article from Forbes Traveler about chocolate around the world.
The author touches on Belgium, Italy and the California chocolate scene. The annual Cacao show at
Centrepoint, a shopping mall in Orchard Road, Singapore is the home right now to a 7.27 meters tall
chocolate sculpture. The builders hope the structure will set a world record, it's already been certified as
Singapore record setter. In the United Kingdom For those who have lost teeth it can be a very difficult time to deal with. There are however now many workable solutions to this affliction, including teeth implants which can really improve functionality and aesthetics.Tesco has recalled certain batches of its Continental Plain
Chocolate 74% Cocoa because the product contains milk protein which was not mentioned on the label. The
Oregonian sent reporter Sara Bir on a mission to sample and rate commercially available cooking chocolate.
You can read her conclusions here.
November 28, 2008 - Whole Foods is recalling some chocolate bars manufactured in Switzerland in
confusion over labeling. While labels commonly list allergens the confusion comes from the precise labeling
needed for the possibility that the product involved could have been exposed to other food allergens. For
example a product made on equipment that was previously used to manufacture a product with allergens
may contain trace elements of that allergen. Whole Foods had a situation where a child was exposed to a
food allergen after consuming a chocolate bar that was labeled stating that "good manufacturing practices"
were "used to segregate" the bars from potential allergens. Most labeling we've seen includes statements
such as machinery used may have also made products with allergens etc. Over one million chocolate bars
were recalled by Whole Foods while the labeling issue is resolved. Nestle has cut back its marketing
expenditures on its Heaven chocolate. The chocolate made in Switzerland was to appeal to young women
and early marketing was built around the proposition that chocolate is more important than men. Spending
has been cut around 90% as the brand struggles to find a place in the market. It looks like Vosges Haut
Chocolat has a hit in the United Kingdom. They shipped to Selfiridges in London their Mo's Bacon Bar and it
sold out in 48 hours. Selfridges has reordered and is hoping to get a resupply in time for the Christmas gift
giving season. Emeril Lagasse is offering up a recipe for rich chocolate pecan pie in time for the holidays.
Frank Oynhausen of Duisburg, Germany has started manufacturing "Sweet Lord", a foil wrapped chocolate
Jesus. Local Protestant and Catholic Churches are not amused and feel he is ruining the symbolism
involved in representations of Jesus. Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell, Jr in
Connecticut is advising consumers not to eat Topaz Wafer Rolls with Hazlenut Chocolate-Flavored Cream
Filling. They have been tested and found to contain an unsafe level of melamine. They were produced in
China. Baby Boomers Cafe of Des Moines, Iowa has seen an increase in the amount of chocolate chip
cookies they've been selling since the cookies got an endorsement of sorts. During the caucus season
Michelle Obama and her daughters would frequent the shop and loved the cookies. As word spread so did
the demand and the Cafe is now selling about 1,000 cookies a week up from the 400 they were selling
before word leaked out about the first families fondness for them.
November 24, 2008 - Singapore authorities have ordered a recall of the Cadbury Boost Totally Nuts (60g)
Bar. Some of the bars may contain pieces of plastic that got in during the manufacturing process in Australia.
Lindt & Spruengli AG has claimed in the European Union's highest court that their trademark to the gold foil
wrapped Easter bunny was gained fairly and therefore they would like the firm Franz Hauswirth GmbH to stop
selling chocolate foil covered bunnies in Austria. Hauswirth has been marketing bunnies since 1960. We
here at eChocolateNYC were not aware of how large the chocolate scene was in Indianapolis, Indiana until
reading this article. Firms in the city include Endangered Species, we've had their bars from Whole Foods,
Petite Chou Café, Ganache Chocolatier, The Best Chocolate in Town and Bijoux Chocolat among others.
Hats off to the BBC with an interesting article and interview for all chocoholics. In a series of dream jobs for
children they interview and explain the working of the job of Darren Williams , the 43 year old confectionary
buyer for the high end Piccadilly department store Fortnum and Mason. He samples all sorts of sweets and
has to come to conclusions as to what will fit the company's needs at the moment. Deborah Markus of
Bellaonline has an interesting article about her search for the ingredients to make vegan s'mores. That's right
no eggs in the marshmallows, no milk in the chocolate etc.
November 18, 2008 - Cocoa prices went spiraling upwards in the last week as buyers looked to take
advantage of cocoa prices which had trended downwards recently.
November 13, 2008 - If you happen to live in the United Kingdom the Times has a great contest for the
chocolate lover. You can win a years supply, a one year free membership in the tasting club, of Hotel
Chocolat. Kraft Foods, Romania, will be closing their factory in Transylvania. The factory produces two
chocolate brands, Poiana and Africana. Kraft had taken over the factory, built in 1903 and Romania's oldest,
in 1994. The brands will continue to be produced just no longer in Romania. 440 workers will be laid off by
the end of 2009. Just in time for the holidays the New York Times is running a recipe for Chocolate Pumpkin
Layer Cake. Straight teeth are all the rage and all the stars know it so ask your dentist about braces and learn how easy it could be to transform your smile.We'll be trying this recipe out in the next week or so. It's from Francois Payard, borrowed from
his brother Charlie. It reads and looks so simple but yet sounds so good. In such rough economic times,
especially in chocolate with the volatile price swings in the price of raw cocoa and rising energy costs, Barry
Callebaut has been able to report a 66.5% increase in net profits over last years. The company has expanded
into new markets and raised prices when cocoa went up but has lowered them since cocoa has gone down
which probably has helped their margins. Vosges Haut - Chocolat has a new product for those who like it
hot, we do. The item is Red Fire Toffee and includes ancho & chipotle chilllies, Ceylon cinnamon, sweet
butter toffee, dark chocolate and Red Fire Pecans.
November 10, 2008 - We here at eChocolateNYC are suckers for this sort of thing. We've already printed
customized stamps and now M&Ms has a deal where you can print pictures on M&Ms. That's right, the family
dog or kids or where ever your imagination takes you. The only problem we see is how do you resist eating
them? If you're in Southern Colorado the last weekend of November you might want to take a break from all
that hard holiday shopping and check out the Nineteenth Annual Chocolate Festival on Fri., Nov. 28, and Sat.,
Nov. 29 in Creede. For only $10 you get to work your way through the town and sample chocolate produced by
its merchants and others. At the end you get to vote on your favorites. The ABC affiliate in Chicago has a nice
piece of video on line featuring Vosges Haut Chocolat and the company's owner Katrina Markoff. In the
interview she explains her firms commitment to going green and its foray into the organic market. Vosges
has two locations here in the city one on Spring Street in Soho and the other on Madison Avenue and 83rd
Street. Some pretty good footage of the New York Chocolate Show from NY1. Gail Ambrosius brought her
bar from Madison, Wisconsin to compete in the Next Generation Chocolatier competition in New York City on
Nov. 5. Her bar, Three Hot Nuts Bar, was a winner. The bar is composed of pumpkin seeds, pine nuts and
pistachio nuts. She sells the bars at her shop, 2086 Atwood Ave., Madison, Wisconsin. The Gothamist has
some great photos of The Chocolate Shows kick off charity fashion show. Hellertown, Pennsylvania is the
home of Dolce Patisserie. The shop is the workplace of Pastry Chef Alan Pitotti. Pitotti crafts his chocolates by
hand and is a graduate of Culinary Institute of America's pastry program.
November 06, 2008 - Paula Deen has a recipe out for German Chocolate Cake Bars. The recipe looks quite
promising. Oh no we like to think that chocolate and chocolate lovers are never wrong but a poll of Finney's
Chocolate Shoppe in Cambridge Springs chocolate eaters found that John Mc Cain was slated to win the
election. Each participant received a chocolate shaped like the state of Pennsylvania after voting. Prime
Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko has announced she enjoys Belgian chocolates and that she would
welcome investment in her country from Belgian chocolate manufacturers. The Sofitel Hotel chain has
announced a end of the year chocolate special. Hotel branches will be offering three day packages with an
emphasis on chocolate. Entrees at meal time will include such items as chocolate duck. In the United
Kingdom Lucky Dip has recalled some of its Halloween and Christmas products as they have been found to
contain melamine. The affected products are manufactured in Zhongshan, China, by Le Bang Chocolate
Food Company. César and Magdalena Dahua grow cacao, as well as other crops on their farm on the Napo
River in Ecuador. For years they sold their crop for a pittance but now partake in a cooperative that is
marketing their beans. They are now producing Kallari Bars which are sold at Whole Foods as well as other
locations. The New York Times has a tremendous article about how this all took place. The 2008 Cadbury
Chocolate Couture Collection Fashion Show: A World of Chocolate is the title of a Press Release posted on
line. Ten top designers from Canada were given the challenge of producing couture using Cadbury as a
starting point.
October 31, 2008 - AFP has an interesting piece originating form the Paris Chocolate Show. Most of the
article is on the state of the current market, demand for darker and fair trade chocolate etc. There is also a
part on different thing s being done to entice buyers with new and different chocolate. Of most interest to us
here at eChocolateNYC is " Belgium's Dominique Persoone, whose Bruges workshop in the Flemish-
speaking part of the country has produced chocolates flavoured with cauliflower, basil, dried tomato jam,
black olives and even chocolate biscuits encrusted with chicken-skin. ". More melamine wows for the
Chinese chocolate market. Police in Thailand have discovered a cache of smuggled in Orphic Brand
Chocolate with fourteen times the allowable level of melamine. ITN has a nice video clip with some
interviews from the Paris Chocolate Show. There is confusion about the recall of chocolate coins
manufactured by the Sherwood Brands Company. The coins are Pirate's Gold brand and have been recalled
from Costco stores in Canada. They have not yet been currently recalled in the United States, the company
claims they were made from different chocolate and have been tasted for safety. Reuters has a nice article
about the Paris Chocolate Show. File this one away under it always pays to read the labels on your food. In
2006 Hershey recalled chocolate bars produced in their Smith's Falls factory after the factory showed some
exposure to salmonella. The recalled bars were destroyed but it is believed some of the product that was
slated for destruction ended up being stolen. Five different stores in the Toronto area were found selling the
bars recently and 640 bars have been confiscated. Hershey bars usually have an expiration date about a year
off so these bars should have expired and no cautious consumer should have eaten them. So far there have
been no reports of illness from chocolate from this batch.
October 29, 2008 - Cadbury has stumbled in a little bit of controversery as they are a sponsor of the 2012
Olympics in London. It seems a bit silly to us, health advocates feel that by allowing a company that sells
"unhealthy food" a platform like the Olympics, children will consume more "unhealthy food". We do believe
that handled properly the campaign will probably encourage consumers to purchase more Cadbury products
and less from other manufacturers. M&M is teaming up with Martha Stewart to create a bunch of holiday craft
and chocolate fun ideas. They are also running a promotion where they give you a free bag of Martha Stewart
inspired Christmas M&Ms if you purchase some personalized product. The Sweets Middle East trade show
to be held in Dubai next week will give European confectioners the opportunity to expose their products to the
Middle east markets. Their will be 180 exhibitors at the show. Last years Sweets show in Dubai drew over
3,500 visitors. With cocoa prices taking a 20% + drop in the last month confectioners are finally getting
some relief. It will be interesting to see if some of the price hikes of the last few months will be rolled back
with dropping commodity prices. Barry Callebaut is forging ahead in its sustainability efforts. Once just a
talking point more companies in agriculture are making efforts to increase what they do in this field. Callebaut
recently planted 250,000 trees in Tanzania as well as pushing along projects in the Ivory Coast. A
symposium is currently being held in Ghana that is bringing together the Ashanti King, government officials,
scientists and farmer's representatives which is hoping to draft a plan for cocoa sustainability.
Representatives from Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Liberia and Togo will meet with scientists,
World Bank officials, representatives from the World Cocoa Foundation, the World Agroforestry Centre and
other organizations. The meeting is being organized by Mars. Growers in the Ivory Coast are engaging in a
sparodic strike, demanding more for their crop. According to Bloomberg News cocoa is still shipping out of
the country although some trucks have been stopped on the roads by strikers. A few days back we reported
on Hershey's legal action against a Michigan moving firm Art Vans for artwork that was suggestive of a
Hershey bar on the side of their trucks. A judge has ruled in Hershey's favor and ordered Art Vans to remove
the signage from their vehicles. Art Vans had claimed the signage was covered under parody law but the
judge disagreed.
October 26, 2008 - The Moonstruck Chocolate Co. has scaled back its operation and has resumed being a
regional based company. Shedding nine of its shops in markets as diverse as California, Illinois,
Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey and Virginia they can now focus on their core market, Portland,
Oregon. The company had hoped that closer proximity to other markets would allow local distributors to
market their products but it never worked out the way the company hoped. We've sampled Moonstruck's
wares and they are quite tasty. We wish the company well in the future. The UAE was the birthplace for a new
chocolate that uses a regional staple. That's right camel milk chocolate. The treat was unveiled recently and it
sounds like it was well received. Ignoring the recent downturn in the world's economy Nestle is partnering
with Pierre Marcolini to offer high end chocolates in their Nespresso shops. The chocolates will debut in
Nespresso shops in Switzerland and Paris. Harry and David are recalling some packages of Moose Munch
Confection, Milk Chocolate. Some of the packages may contain pecans even though they are not labeled as
such.
October 22, 2008 - In the latest in melamine tainted chocolate news The British Food Standards Agency
(FSA) said melamine had been found in Chinese-made "I Love You" sets, sold at Ann Summers sex shops.
The chocolate flavored body spreads, or as the British government's website calls them, 'willy spread' -
chocolate-flavoured or otherwise," are consumed so could be dangerous. The United Kingdom's Advertising
Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled that Mars misled consumers when they ran advertisements implying that
its Maltesers product was a low-calorie snack. In the ad it's pointed out that one Malteser has less than 11
calories which isn't alot. The dispute centered around the country's description of a low energy food in
advertising which Maltesers have 12 times as much. Mars claimed that they were just making a factual
statement not claiming the food was actually a low calorie product. A Michigan furniture store has found
themselves squaring off in court with Hershey over the design of signage that was to be painted on the sides
of their trucks. The company showed a bunch of designs on their website and asked customers to vote on
their favorite. The design looked like an unopened Hershey bar labeled Art Van. Hershey went to court fearing
that the design would cause confusion among consumers. Art Van has changed the color from the original
obvios Hershey brown to red.
October 19, 2008 - Deborah Markus of Bellaonline has an interesting post about possible chocolate
allergies. Fortuantely chocolate allergies are rare but they do occur. She explains the difference between an
intolerance and an allergy. Once again Hershey has done a nice job with a seasonal website. Their 2008
Christmas website is full of recipes, crafts and other ideas to make the holiday's a little more fun. Some of
their gift items are nice to. We're partial to the bags of kisses labeled "naughty" and "nice". Just a cute way to
say Merry Christmas to a coworker. Resveratrol, a compound in red wine and grape juice, is also found in
dark chocolate and cocoa according to a new report released by Hershey's Center for Health and Nutrition.
The report claims resveratrol is found in dark chocolate second only to red wine. The CEO of Divine
Chocolate, Erin E. Gorman, addressed a crowd at Harvard University October 16th. The event was co-
sponsored by the Harvard College Africa Business and Investment Club (HCABIC) and the Harvard-Radcliffe
Catholic Student Association. Ms. Gorman explained how her company's fair trade policies were a win win
situation. The consumer gets a great tasting product and the consumer knows that they are getting a product
where the labor hasn't been exploited. The Philadelphia Inquirer has a nice article about an Austrian reporter
who takes her first trip to Hershey, Pennsylyvania. Although she comes from a country with a fine chocolate
tradition she enjoys her stay in Hershey.
October 15, 2008 - Chocolate Week is upon us once again. London is the place to be until October 19th. It's
best just to check the official site for more details but here is a partial list of participants. Artisan du Chocolat,
Auberge du Chocolat, Cocoa Loco, Rococo, Melt and Hotel Chocolat. There are dozens of more participants
and events galore. Barry Callebaut is forging ahead with its plans to increase its focus in the quality
chocolate field. The company is opening its third Centre of Excellence in Europe. The location will be Dijon,
France and will join centres in Louviers, France and Wieze, Belgium. The new centre will concentrate on
research into chocolate compounds and fillings. Josef Zotter's, "Chocolate Factory", Schokoladen
Manufaktur , is located in the mountains of Austria. The factory has 100 employees and produces fair trade,
organic chocolate. Since opening in August, 2007 the factory has had 150,000 visitors. The Independent of
London has an interesting recipe for converting a chunk of chocolate into a slab of chocolate with lightly
roasted whole hazelnuts. The recipe comes from Guido Gobino's chocolate shop. We here at
eChocolateNYC must be a little naive at times. We reported on Mars opening of their plant, the $70 million
Dove Chocolate Center of Excellence, in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania. According to an article in the San Francisco
Chronicle this has to all be taken within the broader context of Mars/Hershey competition. The Dove Center is
now open in the heart of Hershey country. Mars is also expanding US operations at a time when Hershey is
closing factories in the USA and Canada. Kroger Value Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips are undergoing a
recall. Some of them have undeclared milk proteins. The Independent of London also has an interesting
article about the 10th Anniversary of Day Chocolate Company , makers of the Divine Chocolate Bar, the fair
trade firm. The partnership of the Kuapa Kokoo co-operative has enabled many farmers to get a better price
for their cocoa beans. Stafford DeCambra, the corporate executive chef at PCI Gaming in Atmore, Ala., is
hitting the road and taking his chocolate creations with him to Erfurt, Germany, where he will compete in the
22nd IKA Culinary Olympics. The piece he is entering is of three hula dancers. The picture looks great.
October 08, 2008 - A new report from Credit Suisse postulates that confectioners may find some relief from
spiraling commodity prices in 2009. Not only has the price of oil dropped but so has the price of edible oils,
grain, dairy and cocoa. Research from the Mars Company has proposed that cocoa should be reclassified
into ten distinct genetic sets. This would lead to better cross breeding and then in turn would lead to less of
each new crop dying from disease. Hotel Chocolat, one of our advertisers , has a pretty good promotion
running through the end of November. Purchase around $100 in chocolate, get a nice box free. Just click on
any of their ads on our site for more details. New organic sweets product launches increased 600% in
Europe from 2006 to 2008. The explosion in demand and in manufacturers developing of new products
shows how large the organic market has become. It seems just a few years back only a handful of
companies were making organic chocolate now it is everywhere. Even with the economic slowdown
Bloomberg reports that the wholesale price of cocoa has gone up. Adding inventory before the holidays and
investors looking to park money they've taken out of the world's stock markets are the two reasons cited for
the increases. South Korea has not found chocolate laced with melamine on it's store shelves. The Korea
Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) has found both M&Ms and Snickers with unsafe levels. Nestle Kit Kat
bars were also found to have unacceptable levels. The products have been taken off the shelves. Rocky
Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc. will be hosting its Second Quarter Investor Conference Call on Thursday,
October 9, 2008. The call will take place at 4:15 PM EST. The Dubai World Trade Centre has issued a report
stating that growing demand in new markets for cocoa based products has helped buttress the confectionery
industry in tough economic times.
October 01, 2008 - Athena partners, the makers of Athena bottled water, has started a premium chocolate
line, Athena Chocolates. One hundred percent of profits from the chocolate will support breast cancer
research and eduction. The chocolates are being supplied by Dilettante Chocolates. If you're in the greater
Los Angeles area on Sunday, October 5th, you might want to hit the Pasadena Center for TasteTV's 2nd
Annual Luxury Chocolate Salon. The exhibitor list looks great and includes Mignon Chocolate, Chocolate All
the Time, Sacred Chocolate, Arlene's Gourmet Toffee, Valerie Confections, Jade Chocolates, Malibu Toffee,
Guittard Chocolate Company, Marti Chocolatt, The Chocolate Traveler, Poco Dolce, Amano Artisan Chocolate,
San Francisco Toffee Company, Choclatique, Chuao Chocolatier, the TeaRoom chocolates, Cosmic
Chocolate, Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory, Plush Puffs Gourmet Marshmallows, Rushburn Toffee
Company, Downey's Chocolates, The Chocolate Basket, Christopher Michael Artisan Chocolates, DOVE
Chocolate Discoveries, Calcareous Vineyards, Vermeer Dutch Chocolate Cream Liqueur, Nespresso
gourmet coffee, and more. In Scotland, in the Highlands, in an abandoned Royal Air Force base, two
Scottish university graduates are producing high quality chocolates that are attracting a world wide clientele.
The company, Cocoa Mountain, was started two years ago and is now shipping all over the world and have
US Senators and Prince Charles as customers. The European Union has barred the import of chocolate
products from China as the Chinese government struggles to deal with the growing contamination scandal.
With over 50,000 ill children and at least 4 dead from dairy products laced with melamine China is losing
market share as more places block the import of Chinese dairy products. And the beat goes on. Cadbury
has announced the recall of 11 types of Chinese-made chocolates after tests found they contained the
industrial chemical melamine. The products were made at its factory in Beijing which and are distributed in
Taiwan, Hong Kong and Australia. Dove Chocolate (Mars), has expanded its plant in Elizabethtown,
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The two year expansion cost $70,000,000. Warrnambool, Australia, has a
7 day chocolate festival going on. Forty Five local businesses have combined to offer different chocolate
themed events, tastings, hunts etc. to create a fun atmosphere. The Seattlest, has a nice piece about some
of the better hot chocolate available in Seattle, Washington. Mars, the makers of Dove, Three Musketeers,
etc. has announced that as a firm they are committed to producing 100% cocoa butter based chocolate. You
can see a video presentation here. Vosges Haut - Chocolat has reintroduced their Zion collection. The
collection is inspired by the Rastafari movement in Jamaica. The chocolates use ingredients such as Blue
Mountain Coffee and Jamaican Sorrel. Hotel Chocolat has reintroduced their Tasting Club which is a pretty
good deal, especially if you're located in the United Kingdom. Their ad is somewhere on this page, just click
on it and check out their website.
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