Hotel Chocolat disappointment

[SealSong]

Bought several boxes of Hotel Chocolat this Christmas as gifts. Having sampled a few (had a box myself also), I am disappointed in them...not the quality I was expecting and decidedly average but very expensive.

Are there any good brands of chocolates out there? Ones that really are delicious?

If all you want is tasty chocolate, try Waitrose 50% cocoa solid milk bar. Really tasty! Their 75% dark is good too. Although they are no good as presents really.
Montezuma is also good.
Since becoming diabetic I only have high cocoa content chocolate: and not very often. The other stuff tastes awful to me now.

Another vote for Neuhaus. The nicest chocolate I've ever tasted

@PinkSquidgeyPig, I love the Waitrose 50% milk chocolate bar, really chocolately and not sickeningly sweet, reasonably priced too.

Oh yes, Waitrose has some good bars - their Waitrose 1 feuilletine milk chocolate bar is one of my favourites!

Agree that Hôtel Chocolat are mediocre for the price charged. M and S do a smallish box of all-dark chocs for £4 and I wolfed them down (unfortunately!) as they were so delicious.

I love booja booja ones! They are delicious

www.highlandchocolatier.com/luxury-selection-boxes-cat-123
I thoroughly recommend these chocolates....hand made in Scotland
The truffles are amazing

Also these chocolates are amazing... a small company that’s been around years in the Northwest and has some amazing combinations...

www.chocamor.co.uk

Another handmade in Scotland option, although closed during January:

obanchocolate.co.uk/

They are fabulous.

I never get the love for Hotel Chocolat. It positions itself as a cut above the likes of Thorntons etc, and the prices definitely reflect that - but look at the ingredients and they're the same as cheap supermarket chocolates. Glucose syrup and palm oil.

I really dislike their packaging too - all that black moulded plastic that can't be recycled. And hard cellophane wrappers.

Just back from Belgium & we did a 4 hour chocolate tour in Brussels. The local tour guide was adamant that the best chocolate is from Chocopolis - having tasted our way around Brussels’ chocolate shops, I’m now minded to agree

@knackeredmum Leonidas is on Amazon?!?!?! This is not good. I used to treat myself from a store near my office but don't work there anymore. They are the best.

Agree hotel chocolate is overpriced. It's not that it's bad, just not brilliant and based on price expectations are high.

Agree that m&s belgium/Swiss chocolates ate good. And I generally love lindt - always my preference as "supermarket chocolate".

Lots of great suggestions for other chocolates brands to try, thank you all.

Not that is matters but it was an upgrade to £24 at HC.

i would never say no to lindt even as a present i know thats not what your after though

You can also get Leonidas online and then get delivered....... www.chocolate-express.co.uk/

Dangerous but fantastic

I don’t like Lindt, too sweet.

DH bought me lauden chocolates last christmas... they were nice, but not "best ever" IMO.
I like Godiva, Ritter, and Monty bojangles.

Butlers chocolates & Lir chocolates are the only ones I would gift, they are to die for!!!

I’ve had a look at the webpage and for puré chocolate there is no palm oil mentioned. They own their own cocoa plantation in St Lucia, it would be BS for them to say they’re adding it as the price of cocoa had gone up.

There however could be Palm oil in items that are added to the chocolate, when buying items that aren’t plain chocolate

I find Montezuma too sugary. Those French ones in the brightly coloured boxes are nice. Hotel chocolate is great if you buy the right box. Stuff like dark selection is great. Or their tipsy box. But seasonal ones are vile. Eaton mess chocolate anyone? Or carrot cake

Oh and motzart kugen at quite amazing (but very sugary)

Haighs and koko black are very very good

French in brightly coloured boxes.
Prestat?