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Charlie and the Chocolate Cafe

PRESTAT HOT CHOCOLATES:

One of London’s oldest chocolate houses, originally founded over 100 years ago, and later co-owned by a former employee of Charbonelle & Walker, Prestat started life as a little chocolate shop in South Molton Street. After surviving two World Wars and the rationing of the 1950s Prestat rose to prominence again, becoming a favourite shop of not just royalty, but of Rold Dahl himself! Legend has it it was this very chocolate shop that influenced Dahl for his book My Uncle Oswald, and, in part, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

The latest exciting news for Prestat involves their newly opened chocolate cafe at 186, Pavilion Rd in Sloane Square. There are a fine selection of delicious cakes on offer, as well as chocolate truffles and a range of hot chocolates, which is why we’re here, including: Dark, Milk, Orange and Chai. Feeling a little like branching out, I went for the chai hot chocolate, not quite as thick as some other London hot chocolates I have tried, but still just as silky and rich as it is made with real grated chocolate and a powdered chai spice blend. The warming mix of spices with the rich chocolate is perfect for any time of year, and the lack of sickly syrupyness makes it all the more palatable. Served in a classically fancy gold-rimmed drinking mug and finished with a light dusting of richly intense cocoa powder, I strongly suggest regardless of what flavour you try, add a yuzu sake truffle as an after chocolate – trust me, you won’t be disappointed!

Prestat's signature chai hot chocolate — Prestat’s chai hot chocolate served in their signature cup

Prestat’s Cafe can be found at: 186, Pavilion Rd, London SW3 2BF, a 3 minutes walk from Sloane Square tube station, and their miniature chocolate shop can be found at: 14 Princes Arcade, Piccadilly, London SW1Y 6DS

A Little Bit of Culture

Whilst my trip to Nicaragua was predominantly based around cacao research, I did take some time to explore my surroundings, absorbing the beauty and culture this amazing country had to offer at every opportunity. Morning tortillas made by the roadside, hummingbirds in the city parks, and some really stunning churches!

Roadside Tortilla

Catedral St Peter, Matagalpa

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Before the Bar

After our foray into the Nicaraguan jungle in search of the ancient heirloom cacao, meeting with farmers along the way, it was now time to harvest the beautiful golden-red pods of deliciousness we had gathered. Have you ever wondered what makes chocolate taste like, well, often many more things than just chocolate? It’s not as simple as you might think.

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Searching for Cocoa

TUESDAY 10th MAY:

After an introduction to the world of fine cacao and its production methods at Ingemann’s processing and sorting facility, it was time to hit the (rather bumpy) road out to the cacao farms of north central Nicaragua. Here we would be meeting with the farmers, learning their trade and helping them with the harvest of some of their crop – the pods of the prized Theobroma Cacao tree.

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Miel y Cacao

SUNDAY 9th MAY:

It’s 4.45am on a Sunday and I’m running for a train to the airport with two backpacks strapped to me, trying to eat a banana and call a cab company. Uber have failed me!

I make the flight and set off on my most ambitious Chocolate Adventure yet. Having spent most of the last few years exploring some of the best chocolate shops in far-flung corners of the world, and having worked as a chocolatier, it was now time to get down to basics, to go right back to the beginning and discover what really goes in to creating one of the worlds’ most popular treats.

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An Inspirational Drink

ROCOCO CHOCOLATE’S HOT CHOCOLATE:

Rococo Chocolates in Motcombe Street, London, are famous for a variety of award-winning chocolate products, including their 70% House Dark drinking chocolate which is pure magic in a cup. Served in Rococo’s distinguishable china cups with the founder’s own blue stencil designs on them, everything about this hot chocolate drinking experience is pure perfection.

The chocolate they use is an organic 70% house blend using beans from a variety of origins, to add a little richness they have also added organic cocoa powder to the mix giving it a lovely strong flavour and velvety texture, it’s clear to see why this drink won them an Academy of Chocolate award! Sip it from their beautiful cups outside in the little wire chairs, inside the hustle and bustle of the shop, or in their little private magic garden downstairs at the back of the shop. Even after you’ve finished you will notice the heady notes of chocolate linger on your palette for a good few minutes! Aaah, bliss.

It’s not just their chocolates and hot chocolates that are inspirational, the founder herself, Chantal Cody is even more so. A strong minded business woman with a passion for style and chocolate, she founded Rococo Chocolates 33 years ago, the first female chocolatier in the UK to do so, as well as founding the Academy of Chocolate in 2005 alongside several other industry experts and chocolate aficionados. Legend also has it that it is Chantal and her Motcomb Street shop that inspired the book Chocolat by Joanne Harris.

Enjoy a fine cup of Rococo’s hot chocolate in a signature blue and white cup and explore the secret garden at 5 Motcomb Street, London, SW1X 8JU

A Fine Flavour Range

WILLIAM CURLEY’S HOT CHOCOLATE:

Some may say I am biased as I used to work here, but we need to bear in mind this guy also won Britain’s Best Chocolatier award four times by the Academy of Chocolate! So come and try for yourself, I really believe William Curley does create one of the best hot chocolates around – and there are a range of flavours to choose from: classic House Dark, nutty Gianduja (made with gianduja chocolate), inviting Mayan Spiced blend (70% dark chocolate with a hint of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg) and the exciting Aztec Blend of 70% dark with a kick of chili at the end.

The classic House Blend hot chocolate is created using 70% dark Toscano chocolate, the name of Amedei‘s signature dark chocolate – using beans from a range of origins across South America. Fine dark Toscano chocolate is blended together with freshly boiled frothed milk, the end result – a deliciously smooth and rich dark chocolate drink, not too bitter and not too sweet. The perfect accompaniment to pretty much anything at any time of day! Something not to be missed if you are on a trip to London! Served in a double-walled glass cup, your hot chocolate stays warm whilst your hands don’t burn, and don’t forget the chocolate shavings on the top – these guys clearly know what they are doing with chocolate.

As with the House Dark; both the Mayan and Aztec blends contain 70% dark Toscano chocolate as their base and are blended with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, or chili respectively. Gianduja on the other hand, is a whole separate beast, and if you are a fan of your hazelnut hot chocolate, just without the sickly sweet fake hazelnut syrup (move over Starbucks), then this is the one for you!

Originally a spread, created in Napoleon’s era, Gianduja is now synonymous with solid milk chocolate hazelnut bars, where the hazelnuts are completely ground up, they are not the same as a milk chocolate blended with actual hazelnut pieces. Slightly softer than a classic milk chocolate bar, once grated and blended with hot milk, this is a party on the palette for many hot chocolate lovers!

William works exclusively with Amedei Chocolates to source his chocolate for all of his products.

His hot chocolates can be sampled at 198 Ebury Street, Belgravia, SW1W 8UN and 10 Paved Court, Richmond, TW9 1LZ.

*Author’s Edit: As of May 2016 William Curley no longer trades from the Belgravia or Richmond locations, for all William Curley products, please visit Harrods department store by Knightsbridge station, or visit his website: http://www.williamcurley.co.uk/

Golden Circle Surprise

Still feeling so relaxed we were falling off our proverbial chairs, we layered up to the max and made our way to 101 Laugavegur to catch our ride. It was our last day and we were heading out to see some of the most famous sights and sounds of south western Iceland, courtesy of Extreme Iceland on their Golden Circle Surprise Tour.

With temperatures barely above freezing the snow was starting up again as we made our way up to Þingvellir, or Thingvellir to us Anglicised folk. It was here, over 1000 years ago (in 930 to be precise) that the first ‘Athing’ was held – an open air assembly representing the whole of Iceland, who met once a year until 1798. Here, weather permitting, you can see yet another meeting point, between the two tectonic plates – American and Euroasian plates, who’s boundaries run right through Iceland and are clearly visible at this point – provided you’re not stuck in a blizzard. If you are stuck in a blizzard, then you probably won’t see more than an intricately frosted van window, like the one below.

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Soaking up the Sights

After a high intensity audio visual experience of the night before, we decided to take Saturday at a slower pace. After breakfast we took a leisurely stroll up towards the Eye of Sauron, sorry, I mean Hallgrimskirkja or ‘Hallgrims Church. But it really does look like something out of Lord of the Rings, and with all these Elf Rocks and blizzards it does get a little confusing.

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City Sights by Day and Night

After a chocolate-fueled adventurous morning it was now time to explore what Reykjavik had to offer. But first a quick pit stop in Bajarni Fel sports bar to warm up wit ha glass of Viking beer while I waited for the rest of the crew.