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AIBU?

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Original poster

To give Hotel Chocolate as a present

235 replies

Connected1 · 28/11/2025 20:41

Earlier there was a thread about a work raffle where people donated prizes. The OP mentioned Hotel Chocolate as being one of those "junk presents" that people would donate.

I'm feeling a bit sheepish as I would have bought it online to send as presents to friends in UK (I don't live there myself).

What do people think?
IABU - It's got a bit of a crap reputation
IANBU - It's a premium brand that you'd be glad to get as a present.

OP posts:
JaceLancs · 29/11/2025 23:14

I prefer hotel chocolat to the usual mass market chocolatiers including Lindt
However not as good as small scale individual manufacturers
Had amazing chocolate in Krakow, Prague etc - wonder why the U.K. accept such low standards

Merida46 · 29/11/2025 22:56

I would normally recommend the Mince Pie edition but for some bizarre reason this year they have decided to add white chocolate to the mix so that is a big no, no for me! 💩

Calliopespa · 29/11/2025 22:49

Daftypants · 29/11/2025 22:41

I haven’t had any Hotel Chocolat for ages
i liked the praline and there is a high cocoa ( illegal gianduja ?? Can’t spell it 🤣)
I wasn’t really impressed by the advent calendars though 🤔
ooh I tell you what’s really very good , Ian Burnett the highland chocolatier now that’s amazing !
I have bought that as a gift and you can select the size of box and exactly which truffles you like

Edited

Is that the chocolatier in Grandtully? And it has a gift shop attached?

Daftypants · 29/11/2025 22:41

I haven’t had any Hotel Chocolat for ages
i liked the praline and there is a high cocoa ( illegal gianduja ?? Can’t spell it 🤣)
I wasn’t really impressed by the advent calendars though 🤔
ooh I tell you what’s really very good , Ian Burnett the highland chocolatier now that’s amazing !
I have bought that as a gift and you can select the size of box and exactly which truffles you like

Qualityroses · 29/11/2025 22:25

We get some for Xmas every year and we never get through it. We eat a couple of the chocolates and then never bother with the rest and they end up in the bin.

namechangetheworld · 29/11/2025 22:19

I always thought Hotel Chocolat was viewed as quite high end. I'm clearly an uncultured oaf.

Badhairdayagain · 29/11/2025 22:16

I love hotel chocolat 😍😍😍

LilySLE · 29/11/2025 21:33

I voted YABU because it’s Hotel Chocolat - not Hotel Chocolate!

weareallcats · 29/11/2025 21:22

I like it - good for creative chocolates. We have a local independent chocolate maker who is very good and I would say noticeably better than HC, but they are very expensive. The best chocolates I have ever had are the Mozart chocolates you get in Salzburg, sadly not widely available outside of Austria. I can’t bear cheap chocolate (cadburys and so on) and think HC is fine.

Calliopespa · 29/11/2025 21:17

Bitzee · 29/11/2025 21:13

Yeah but when it’s next to the M&S and Costa in the crummy entrance of Clapham Junction it certainly doesn’t feel very special. I’d still happily eat it though, I’m not a chocolate snob.

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I see where you are coming from. You can get it on Ocado and somehow coming with the groceries makes it feel less like a special treat. Rococo Chocolates and Prestat are also in Waitrose which has a different feel from going to Princes Arcade or the Moxton Street store. But it's super useful when you forget its teacher gift day next day

EvieBB · 29/11/2025 21:16

Connected1 · 28/11/2025 20:41

Earlier there was a thread about a work raffle where people donated prizes. The OP mentioned Hotel Chocolate as being one of those "junk presents" that people would donate.

I'm feeling a bit sheepish as I would have bought it online to send as presents to friends in UK (I don't live there myself).

What do people think?
IABU - It's got a bit of a crap reputation
IANBU - It's a premium brand that you'd be glad to get as a present.

I love Hotel Chocolat....I thought it was a premium brand 😂

Bitzee · 29/11/2025 21:13

WhereAreWeNow · 29/11/2025 20:58

You can buy Chanel and Fortnum & Mason wares at St Pancras. Not sure being sold in stations means a brand can't be luxe.

Show quote history

Yeah but when it’s next to the M&S and Costa in the crummy entrance of Clapham Junction it certainly doesn’t feel very special. I’d still happily eat it though, I’m not a chocolate snob.

FortnumsWeddingBreakfastTeaPlease · 29/11/2025 21:12

They're pretty shit tbh. I buy a brand called Woodrow which are produced locally to me and are outstanding. Everything else, since the introduction of sludgy palm oil products, is quite grim. Therefore, if I want a quick mass produced chocolate hit, I'll spend a quid on a bar of Galaxy and be no less disappointed but much less out of pocket than going to HC. We give it away if we get it. And we're not snobs. Kinder is actually a favourite in our household too.

I don't mind paying for excellent quality. And I love getting good quality at a good price. HC is neither, it's a bit shit but with a healthy price tag because it's been marketed as naice with poncey packaging. I think of it as acceptable as a generic and easy corporate gift.

Calliopespa · 29/11/2025 21:03

WhereAreWeNow · 29/11/2025 20:58

You can buy Chanel and Fortnum & Mason wares at St Pancras. Not sure being sold in stations means a brand can't be luxe.

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There's a Neuhaus at St Pancras too.

DustlandFairytaleBeginning · 29/11/2025 21:01

I've always been disappointed with Hotel Chocolat. The flavours are a bit much/ weird in the chocolate boxes. I'd prefer chocolate that was just nice normal flavours without being so try hard to be experimental. But I wouldn't be offended by it as a gift.

WhereAreWeNow · 29/11/2025 20:58

Bitzee · 28/11/2025 20:52

It falls somewhere in the middle. No it’s not premium/lux, you can buy it in train stations, so unsure why anyone would put it in that category, but it’s decent enough chocolate and tastes nice so I’d happily eat it and be thankful for the gift because I don’t tend to buy myself chocolate.

You can buy Chanel and Fortnum & Mason wares at St Pancras. Not sure being sold in stations means a brand can't be luxe.

WhereAreWeNow · 29/11/2025 20:56

Never realised people looked down on HC.

WhereAreWeNow · 29/11/2025 20:55

I love Hotel Chocolat. I'm not keen on some of the flavours (the pâtisserie range). Their nutmilk chocolate is really good. I'm not vegan but I just love it.

Calliopespa · 29/11/2025 20:52

bumptybum · 29/11/2025 18:21

So you only eat the likes of Prestat or Charbonnel & Walker?

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I actually don't like Charbonnel et Walker. The packaging is very expensive and rather attractive but I'd probably rather eat Hotel Chocolat.

Prestat is nice.

MaxandMeg · 29/11/2025 20:33

PersephonePomegranate · 28/11/2025 21:03

Why is Prestat seen as so luxe? That's a level up from bog standard IMO and not really any different to Hotel Chocolat quality. It's certainly not Godiva or Laderach quality.

The only reason its looked down on IMO, is that there are now so many shops, whereas Prestat is only available on Waitrose in terms of very mainstream shops as far as im aware.

Show quote history

I've seen Prestat in TK Maxx.

ProfessionalPirate · 29/11/2025 20:32

I really can’t stand it but not because I’m a snob. My chocolate tastes lie in very much the other direction, and I would much rather receive a bar of Toblerone. Which is ironic because in every other respect I’m a bit of a foodie.

Unfortunately my MIL has got it into her head that I like it and I get massive boxes of it every Christmas and birthday. After 25 years I think it’s a bit late to tell her 😩

TheHungryHungryLandsharks · 29/11/2025 20:28

I’d be very disappointed if I was gifted it. I find it a bit grainy and gritty. I’m not entirely convinced it’s premium chocolate… a premium price, perhaps, but not premium quality.

Lararoft · 29/11/2025 20:22

Give it alll to me

Ramallamading · 29/11/2025 19:38

If you get some and it says hotel CHOCOLATE it'll be fake
Hotel Chocolat is pretty good

BooBooDoodle · 29/11/2025 19:22

I personally don’t like their chocolate and think it’s overpriced for what it is. As a chocolate lover, I get piles of it every year for Christmas and tins of their hot chocolate which is bloody rank. Despite telling people not to waste their money on this for me as it’s not my brew, I still get loads. I just give it to my sister and the kids.

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